WHEN THINGS CHANGE
by Shinigamis Night
Summary: Harry is different. Hermione is different. Dumbledore is different. Voldemort is different. Ron is confused. Blaise is a guy. Draco and Blaise are friends with Harry and Hermione. HxD slash. HrxB het. Sequal to 'WN&C'. (I know almost nothing about UK, so
1. Prologue

When Things Change 

* * *

Author: Shinigami's Night

Email: shinigamisnight yahoo . com

Pairings: Harry X Draco (yaoi/slash); Hermione X Blaise (het)

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Things are revealed in their six year. Is everyone who they say they are?

Warnings: Ron bashing, mild language, slightly AU (some things are the same, some arenot), and this is my first official Harry Potter fanfic that i have taken the time to finish.

* * *

Prologue 

* * *

Harry woke up to a tap on the window. He yawned a bit, cursing what would wake him up at this hour. He looked over at the clock and saw that it was close to seven.

The tapping on the window sounded more incessant. He had almost forgotten about that.

Harry turned around and let Hedwig into the room. She dropped the letters on the bed and landed on his shoulder.

He picked up the first letter. It read:

Harry-  
I'm sorry to say that we won't be able to have you  
over this summer. All of us are going to visit Charlie, in  
Romania during. Bad timing, I know.  
I couldn't wait to tell you but Hermione has agreed to  
go out with me! I can't believe that I waited so long to ask her!  
She sad yes!  
Anyway, I can't wait to be back in school.

Your friend,  
Ron

Harry smiled after finishing. He was glad that his friends were finally seeing eye to eye on something. They, Hermione expecially, had always skirted around the issue, before. He then turned to the second letter in his hand.

Dear Harry,  
I heard that you wouldn't be able to visit  
Ron this summer. Well I thought that maybe you  
would want to come and stay with me. To maybe  
get away from the Dursley's. My parents have  
actually agreed to me having a boy over for the  
summer! Can you believe it? If you can come we can  
be there by the end of the day. Anyway, write me  
back with your reply. I'll be waiting.

Sincerely yours,  
Hermione Granger

/finally!/ Harry was ecstatic. Here was his chance to be away from the Dursley's for the rest of the summer. He had thought that his chances were thrown when Ron canceled their plans. Though he was sorry about not being able to visit Ron, it wasn't everyday that he got an invite from Hermione and he wasn't going to pass it up. He sat down to write out his acceptance to her proposal and then began packing.

* * *

Chapter 1


	2. Chapter One

Chapter 1 

* * *

Hermione arrived later that day to a most disturbing scene. She had arrived just in time to see Harry's uncle throw him by the arm out through the front door. 

"...AND I DON'T EVER WANT TO SEE YOU AROUND HERE AGAIN. IF YOU EVER COME NEAR MY FAMILY, I SWEAR, I WILL KILL YOU BOY!" Vernon then tossed Hedwig's cage and proceeded to kick his trunk down the stairs. He slammed the door shut afterwards. 

Harry picked himself up of the ground after a few seconds of staring at the closed door. He righted the cage and opened the door to let Hedwig out. 

Hermione stared at the scene in disbelief at seeing Harry thrown out of his house by his uncle. She then came to a few seconds later. "Um, Harry?" 

Harry turned to see Hermione gaping at him. "Hello, Hermione. Um, would you mind helping get these in the car." He looked a bit sheepish that she had seen that. He had wanted to continue keeping his secret, but Hermione would ask now... 

A few minutes later they had piled Harry's things in the trunk of the car. Hermione had turned 16 late on in their fifth year and her parents taken her to get her learner's permit. Since she had been learning to drive already and they had decided that she was responsible enough to drive the distance to Harry's house without getting into trouble. 

* * *

"So... Harry. Want to tell what happened earlier? Not that it's any of my business." Hermione inquired. They had been driving on the highway for about thirty minutes without speaking. 

"Hmm..." He fidgetted in to seat for second; he hadn't wanted to tell any of the Gryffindors... but, Hermione was different. "I don't really mind. As long as you promise not to anyone, including Ron. He would take it the wrong way." He had been staring out the window. "My uncle found out I was gay. Convienent timimng." 

"I had no idea. Are you sure?" Since when Harry been gay? Last year he claimed to have a crush on Padma Patil. He would go on and on about "how smart she is", and how "her hair would shine when the sun hit it just right"... and so on. 

"Yeah. He found a letter from this guy that I've been seeing for about half a year." 

"What happened to Padma?" 

"I was using her as a cover. Ron would never have forgiven me for who I'm really seeing." 

"Are you going to tell me who it is?" 

"Not yet. Do you promise not to tell him?" Harry pleaded with her. She nodded in response. "You're taking this pretty well." 

"Yeah, well. My aunt has a girlfriend. They some and visit us every once in a while. I think that her ex-boyfriend was cheating on them with the other, then they found out, dumped him and got together themselves. But, yes, I promise. You know that you can trust me, Harry!" 

He nodded, but then went quiet again. "It's Draco Malfoy." A short silence filled the car. 

"Are you insane? Just answer me that one question." 

"I know that he isn't the best person. But neither is he the worst. We have some common interest." Harry smirked for a second at a thought that had gone through his head. 

"Such as?" 

"We both love each other, want each other, and live for each other." He smiled and leaned back in the seat, finally relaxing for the first time during the drive." 

"Good examples..." she retorted. Hermione seemed to let this sink in for a second. She really was in a bit of a shock, but wasn't put off of the thought of him and Malfoy too much. "Are you sure that he can be trusted, Harry? I'll leave him be about this if you tell me he can." /Malfoy had better not hurt him.../ 

"I would trust him with my life, but that's just me." 

"Well, I'm glad for you. It makes me think of Ron, though. I'm guessing he told you that we're going out, now." 

Harry nodded his head 'yes'. 

"I like Ron, Harry, I really do... but I don't think it's going to last." She seemed sort of saddened for a moment. 

Harry seemed to think for second. "Did something happen that he didn't tell me?" 

"I don't think so, we haven't done anything. I just don't see myself staying with him for a long amout of time... He's a bit close minded. He sees things in black and white with no room for shades of gray. I need more excitement than that... I only decided to go out with him because I was tired of being alone. Do you realize that I'm 16 years old and have never had a boyfriend? It gets lonely." 

"I know what you mean. Then I found out that Draco could love me." 

"'Could love you;" you didn't know? He's always been a complete jerk when I was around." 

"When we're alone everything is perfect. He's tender, yet exciting. He's loving, and has a sense of humor. Most people just don't get it. He's all that I could ask for. I can trust him. It just... took him a while before he actually told me he loved me, I think I knew before he did." 

..."He sounds special to you." 

"I told you. I love him." 

"Would you mind if I listen to something." She was shuffling around under her seat for the case. 

"Sure. I wouldn't mind, I hope it's good. I haven't heard anything decent for a while. Dudley has a strange fascination with boy bands. I would think he was gay, except that all he can talk about are the girls he can't get to go out with him. Sad, really. He wouldn't look so bad if he would just loose about 100 pounds." 

"I feel sorry for you. One of my cousins bought me this for my birthday. I rarely go anywhere without it." She popped it in the CD player, turned the volume up and turned to what was apparently her favorite song. One Step Closer by Linkin Park blasted over the speakers. 

Harry was surprised to say the least. He would never have thought that Hermione would listen to this. "I never pegged you for one to listen to hard rock, Hermione. Maybe you and Draco might get along pretty well after all." 

"This song just speaks to me for some reason. It speaks the truth." 

They both sat back and listened to the hypnotic lyrics of the song. They realized that maybe there was more to each other that they thought. 

-,---, -,---, -,---, -,---,   
I cannot take this anymore   
I'm saying everything I've said before   
all these words, they make no sense   
I found bliss in ignorance   
less I hear, the less you say   
you'll find that out anyway 

life and the answers aren't so clear   
wish I could find a way to disappear   
all these thoughts they make no sense   
I've found bliss in ignorance   
nothing seems to go away   
over and over again   
just like before   
like before 

everything you say to me   
and I'm about to break   
I need a little room to breath   
I'm about to break   
everything you say to me   
and I'm about to break   
I need a little room to breath   
and I'm about to   
break 

these are the places where I can't feel   
torn from my body, my flesh it heals   
during this night we can fall apart 

waiting alone, I can not resist   
feeling this hate, I have never missed   
These are the memories   
The reason to rip off my......face 

fighting and roaring,   
and pouring and pouring 

shut up when I'm talking to you   
shut up   
blood is pouring   
shut up   
blood is pouring...   
shut up, I'm about to break 

everything you say to me   
and I'm about to break   
I need a little room to breath   
I'm about to break   
everything you say to me   
and I'm about to break   
I need a little room to breath   
and I'm about to   
everything you say to me 

takes me one step closer to the edge   
and I'm about to break   
I need a little room to breath   
cause I'm one step closer to the edge   
and I'm about to break   
everything you say to me   
takes me one step closer to the edge   
and I'm about to break   
I need a little room to breath   
cause I'm one step closer to the edge   
and I'm about to   
-Linkin Park   
-,---, -,---, -,---, -,---, 

* * *

They arrived at Hermione's place at little before seven p.m. Her family was just setting out dinner and her mother met the at the door. 

"Harry. We are so glad to meet you after all this time. Do come in!" 

"Yes ma'am." For having spent his first eleven years in the muggle world he realized he knew very little about them. This made him slightly uncomfortable in their house. 

"We were just about to eat. Come join us. Then Hermione will show you where your room is." 

* * *

The meal had been delicious, although there were several uncomfortable silences in the conversation. 

"Are you ok, Harry?" Hermione had noticed his discomfort. He had chosen to sit beside her since she was the only person he knew. 

"Oh. Yeah. I'm just not sure about what to say here. I usually had my meals in my room at the Dursley's." They were able to talk without being heard because her parents where apparently deep in conversation at the moment. 

"Ok. Let's go ahead and go upstairs." 

He nodded his agreement. 

"Mum, dad. We're going to go ahead and go upstairs, 'k?" 

"Ok. But, no fooling around after bedtime." Her father winked. 

She knew that her father was just teasing them but she couldn't resist. "Oh! Didn't I tell you? Harry's gay!" With that she jumped up and grabbed Harry's hand and flew upstairs. 

* * *

"Hermione. What were you thinking!? I don't want everyone to know that!" How could she have told her parents, right after she had promised to tell no-one. 

"Oh, Yes. They'll be fine. I had to say something or they would have worried about us being up here alone. They know I'm responsible, but they have to be careful, since I'm their daughter." Hermione smiled brightly back at him. She had actually done it to see the look on his face. As she said, she knew that her parents trusted her. 

"I do like girls too, you know!" He sulked. It was a blatant lie. 

"Fine, fine. You... 'bi' then?" She teased him. This was proving to be rather fun. 

"..." 

She laughed at the look on Harry's face. "Don't worry about it! Everything's fine. Now, what are we going to do with all this time?" She knew that there had to be something Harry wanted to do. Especially after being locked away at the Dursley's for all these years; there had to be something. She was willing to bet he had never been to a muggle shop just to get things for himself ever. It was evident in the clothes he wore. Harry was always complaining about having to wear hand-me-downs. Hand-me-downs that were about five sizes to big. Harry was still as skinny as ever. 

"I don't know.... We can just go into town or something." 

"You know that I'm going to make you get more clothes if we go into town, whether you want to or not." He smiled at her. Most of the time he just put up with the clothes. Half the time he managed to forget that he was drowning in them. "I don't care what you say, tell everyone I kidnapped you, but you're going. And this time we don't have to listen to Ron whining under his breath that we're spending too much money." Both of Hermione's parents were dentist, so therefore she had plenty of extra money to spend. Plus she saved, mostly, during the school year. 

"Fine. I am almost glad Ron isn't here. He was upset for a week that time I spent only ten galleons on that book." 

"What was it for anyway? I doubt that you where buying 'Useful Uses for the Unforgivable Curses' for yourself." 

"You're right, though I have borrowed it several times. I bought it for Draco as a Yule and present." 

Hermione seemed to think a second before she remembered. "Pagan holiday?" 

"Yeah. His mother's family are pagan. He practices, occasionally, although not often. He's told me that the circles are very exciting. I haven't been to one before; I wouldn't mind trying with him though." He looked a bit sad, at this. 

"Anything wrong Harry?" 

"No. I just miss him. I can't wait until school starts." 

"What would he do about me, know that I know." 

"I doubt that he'll mind." /especially since his friends already know.../ 

"He seems to have changed more than I had noticed. Is he going join You-Kn-" 

"Hermione! Just say it. I tired of everyone finding ways around saying his name." He glared at her. 

"Sorry. Do you think he's going to join Voldemort?" 

"No. While he agrees with some of his philosophies, he doesn't agree with how he's carrying them out. That's enough about Draco. Anything else, you'll have to persuade him to talk. Which isn't as hard as it sound after you get to know him." 

"But would he ever be willing to get to know me?" Her and Malfoy had never been friends. Could they be now? 

"I'll talk him into it. He already has some respect for you. You stood up to him. He also realizes that you're smart. That's where his problem with Ron comes in. There is no way that he would give Draco a chance, so Draco doesn't even bother being decent to him." 

Hermione looked at the clock. It was about midnight. "We had better go to bed now, if we want to wake up early enough to stop at Gringotts first." They had agreed that they had to stop and get some of Harry's money traded. Hermione had said that they should buy their books later in the summer when Ron came back from Romania. 

Harry made his way across the hall where they had put his things, after saying goodnight. 

* * *

...what are you doing...

* * *

"Hey, Harry!" 

Harry woke to see Hermione jumping on his bed. 

"Arg. Down Hermione!" She got off of to allow him to sit up. 

"It's time for breakfast!" 

..."Are you always this annoyingly perky first thing in the morning? Or is this a new development?" 

She just continued the give him that strange smile. 

"What time is it anyway?" He yawned after all this. 

"It's ten am. I'm just excited about today. It's rare that I have a friend around during summer. Come on! Get dressed; I'll meet you downstairs." With this she left the room and made her way back to her room so that she, herself, could get dressed. 

Harry quickly dressed himself and turned when there was a tap on the glass. Hedwig was back. He had written a letter to Draco about what he would be doing that day. 

Dear Harry,   
I'm glad that you're finally going to get rid   
of those old clothes. Maybe now you won't have to   
borrow mine when we go out. Though, I have to   
admit you looked good in them. Also about   
Hermione. If she's going to start hanging out with us   
time to time, she has to know the rules. Just   
because you're the exception doesn't mean that I'm   
going to let her get away with anything. And, Harry,   
since you've started telling your friends about us,   
remember to keep quiet around Weasel.   
Though, I'm mad, to say the least, about   
what those muggles did. I'm happy that you most   
likely won't have to see them again. Who knows,   
maybe we'll be able to see each other next summer.   
I know that you'll what to check that with that idiot   
Dumbledore first. What do you see in him anyway? 

Your love,   
Draco Malfoy 

Harry smiled at receiving his letter so soon. He put it in his pocket and made his way downstairs. 

The rest of Hermione's family was already there. 

"Harry. What took you so long?" 

"I had to read this first!" He dug the letter back out of his pocket and handed it over to the waiting hand. Harry then took his seat beside her. 

"So, Harry. Did you sleep well?" Hermione's mother inquired. 

"Yes ma'am. Better than I have all summer." Which was the truth. The Dursley's would never let him get enough sleep. 

"What are your plans for today?" 

Harry took his fork out of his mouth to answer to question. "We were just going to go around town. To make a quick stop in Diagon Alley, for a money transfer." 

"We hope you two have fun." 

"So what was this Hermione had said about being gay? She never mentioned this before," Mr. Granger asked curiously. 

"Not that many people know. She saw my uncle kick me out of the house with a death treat, so I had to tell her." 

"Oh! Are you ok?" Hermione's mother's eyes had sympathy in them. The same had happened for her sister and she hadn't taken it well. 

"I'm glad, actually. I get to get away from those few problems in my life." 

"Harry? What did he mean by rules?" Hermione had finished the letter. She handed it back. 

"What's that?" Her father asked. 

"It's a letter from my boyfriend." He turned back to Hermione. "He was only joking." 

"Sure." She then returned to her plate to finish what was left. "I'm done! Are you ready to go?" 

"Yeah, we need to go before it gets to late." With that they made their good-byes and left. 

* * *

It was about twelve when they made it through the barrier that separated Diagon Alley from muggle London. They then made their way to Gringotts to trade Harry's money and left. 

First the went to a get Harry some new glasses. 

"Hey. Try these on!" Hermione held up a pair glasses with huge lenses in them, the kind you would imagine on your grandfather. 

"Please tell me you're kidding me." 

"I didn't say get them. Fine." She put glasses back on their hook and they went back to browsing. 

"What about these." Harry turned around to see what silly choice she had made this time. He was surprised when she was holding up a pair of small, slightly rounded glasses with thin black rims. 

He took off his old pair and studied himself in the mirror. "They're great." 

"Yes. You should get those." 

They waited on the optometrist to size his lenses to the new frames. Harry then paid for them and slipped the old ones into his pocket. 

"Why are you holding on to those? The new lenses look great." 

"Sentimental value." 

* * *

Next they stopped for lunch since it was about 2:30. 

"What did he mean by the rules?" She had been wondering about this all day. Now she had the chance to ask. 

"He was joking. He hates my cousins clothes and threatened to burn down my relatives house for making me wear them. Draco say that the only reason he still hangs around me is that I don't really have a choice. He's also rather protective, in a sweetway though. Not the 'I'll kill you for talking to someone else' way. He did kick someone out of his dorm room for wearing a neon pink shirt, though." 

"Strange guy." 

Harry shrugs, grinning. 

"He's lucky that I was planning on this anyway, otherwise it would have been to bad for him." She tipped her nose in the air, trying to imitate a snobbish attitude. "You're not the only who feels that they must have an intire new wardrobe!" 

"What's been stopping you?" 

Hermione stopped the act. "It isn't exactly exciting doing this alone. And Ron Isn't the one you would want to pick out clothes with. So that leaves you. And before you ask me, and my mother don't have the same styles. She's still trying to get used to the new additions to my music collection." 

"Well now's our chance to shine. What's first?" 

"We'll I wouldn't mind getting my hair done. My parents used to think that I was too young to have anything done with it. But now I'm sixteen and it's my choice." 

"I wonder what Ron would think of all this. I mean I'm getting new glasses and new clothes, and you're getting your hair done and new clothes." Harry wondered out loud. 

"He would probably say that we're being vain and leave in a huff." 

..."Are we?" 

"Are we what?" 

"Vain?" Harry was beginning to worry about if they should do all of this now. 

"No. We would only be vain if this was all we cared about. It's ok to indulge every once in a while as long as you don't make a habit out of it." She nodded reasuringly, before grabbing Harry's arm and started walikng. 

Harry obediently followed her to the cashier's... not that he had a choice. "You're awfully sure about this. Been thinking about this for a while?" 

"And you haven't? You agreed to this!" 

"Ok. Now who's going to pay?" 

"Maybe we should split the bill." 

They paid for the meal and made their way to the nearest beauty parlor. 

* * *

Harry was ecstatic when Hermione was finished. He had been sitting there for about an hour in a freezing cold building, fending off the staff, who just couldn't figure out that he wasn't interested. 

"It's about time, Hermione," he almost yelled. 

"Sorry about the wait. I told you, Harry, that you could take a walk if you wanted to! I told you it would be cold in there. So do you like it?" Hermione hadn't really gotten it styled; she had just gotten it straightened a bit. It now flowed down, without being in a tangled mass. 

"Love it. Now let's get out of here." Another hairdresser was currently making her way towards him, with scissors in hand. 

"No-one can resist those looks of yours Harry. With those deep green eyes of a forest god and jet black hair that most girls would kill for. I would chase you around too, except that I'm smart enough to know not to. You're my friend. Not to mention the fact that you have someone right now." 

"Hermione, you're scaring me." 

"It's true! Now let's get going." With that she grabbed his arm and they made their way to store. 

* * *

Prologue   
Chapter 2 


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter 2 

* * *

They had decided to shop for her first. She had stopped at a rack full of tank tops. Hermione pulled out a black and blue one with Japanese kanji embroidered all over it. "It's perfect." She then tossed it in the basket. She had also picked out a pair of black hip hugger jeans. Hermione then tossed in a light blue and a red. The store was having a two for one special. They then stopped by the pants section again. Hermione had picked the other pair up when they had passed by it the first time. 

"Hermione. These are nice." He had stopped by a pair of leather pants they had on sale. Just because they had money didn't mean that sale items should be discarded. 

"Hn. Only thirty dollars, too." With that she tossed them in with the shirts. She decided that was enough of those. They next went to the dress section. 

"I don't think I'll really be much be much help here." 

"Sure you will! Just tell me if you see anything interesting." 

There was a nearby old couple watching then browse the racks. 

"It's so nice to see young couple together. Don't you think so, Theodore?" 

"If you say so, Nelly. I still think it's strange to see a guy helping his girlfriend pick out dresses. If you ask me." 

"I didn't ask you." 

"Yes, you did." 

"No, I didn't!" 

"Well at I still know what we're talking about!" 

"Yes I do!" 

"What is it?" 

"Whether I look better in solids or floral patterns. See I know!" 

::sweatdrop:: "..." (1) 

They continued bickering not noticing that said couple had turned around and was staring at them as the walked away. 

"Strange people," said Harry as he turned back to racks in front of him. When he was just about to give up looking found something that was indeed interesting. "Hermione what about this." He pulled the dress of the racks and held it out to her. 

"Harry. It's beautiful." And indeed it was. It was made out of a thin black material and had a Chinese collar. It was trimmed in light blue satin. 

She picked up a skirt or two afterwards. Then they left to pick out some things for Harry. 

* * *

"This shirt would look good on you, Harry." She held out hunter green shirt up to him. "You should get it." 

"If you say so." The day had begun to drag on him it was about 5:30 now. "'Mione can we take a break now." 

"Not until we finish this store. It won't take that long." 

Harry had stopped listening when he spotted a black long sleeved shirt. Beside it was a near identical red one. He picked them both up and put them in the basket. 

"Does everything have to be black, Harry?" Hermione asked. She was starting to notice the amount of black, dark, or red, clothes in the basket. Some were dark green, though. 

"..." He watched as Hermione pulled a couple of light t-shirts off the rack. 

"What will you wear when it gets hot?" 

Harry just shrugged and looked around some more. 

Hermione got a devious look on her face for a second. She had been wondering what he would look like pierced. Now she had the chance to find out. 

"Harry, how do you feel about piercing?" 

Harry just stared at her for that one. 

They picked out a couple more pairs of pants and jeans for Harry then left the store. 

* * *

They had stopped for ice cream. Taking a break, just like Hermione had promised they would. 

"Please. Harry just two. I'll even get some more." Her parents had taken her to get her ears pierced a couple of years ago. 

"No." He was trying to stay firm in his decision, but it was wavering a bit. Hermione had been on about this since they had gotten out the store. She had even mentioned that Draco would probably like it and that had nearly shattered his resolve. Harry was seriously considering it now. 

"Please. I'll even pay for it. PLEASE, Harry!" 

"You know I don't care about that, Hemione, but fine." Harry muttered. "But just the two." Why was Hermione so insistent on this? "Why, anyway." 

"Oh! I just think that you would look good in them." 

* * *

Lastly they stopped at the piercing place. It was well after six now and they had to get back in home for dinner. 

"OUCH!" 

"Harry. Don't be such a baby." 

"Why don't YOU get up here then," Harry spat. He had been glaring at Hermione ever since they had held the gun up to his ear. Harry had already scared off a couple of attendants. 

"I will. Once you're done!" She just smiled brightly as she watched. 

"You're very annoying, you know." Hermione scowled at him and continued looking. 

When they were both finished and the piercing person gave them cleaning instructions, they went to go pick out earrings. 

"Are you still mad at me Harry?" 

"Whatever gave you that idea?" He was walking several paces ahead of her. 

"Well you haven't spoken to me since we left." 

"I'll talk to you when the pain subsides." 

"Harry, what about these." She was holding up a pair of thick silver earrings in her hand. They were small hoops, but androgynous in style. (1) 

Harry turned around and nodded. She picked up some studs for herself and placed another pair for Harry in the basket. She didn't ask him about them because she knew that he wouldn't completely admit to liking them. 

They got several other things and then headed back to the house. This time Staind was played on the CD player. 

-,---, -,---, -,---, -,---,   
I try to breath   
memories overtake me   
I try to face them but   
the thought is too   
much to conceive 

I only know that I can change   
everything else just stays the same   
so now I step out of the darkness   
that my life became 'cause 

I just needed someone to talk to   
you were just too busy with yourself   
you were never there for me to   
express how I felt   
I just stuffed it down   
now I'm older and I feel like   
I could let some of this anger fade   
but it seems the surface   
I am scratching   
in the bed that I have made 

so where were you   
when all this I was going through   
you never took the time to ask me   
just what you could do   
-Staind   
-,---, -,---, -,---, -,---, 

* * *

"Well did you have fun?" Hermione's mother was glancing between the two. Harry still wasn't talking to Hermione. 

"I did. Harry's just mad that I got him to get his ears pierced." 

"No. I'm mad because it still hurts." 

"Harry... You've been through many worse things than getting you ear pierced, and you know it." 

"I know, but it still hurts." 

They had come into the house carrying several bags and Harry glaring at the back of Hermione's, looking as is he were trying to burn a hole in it. Luckily for her, he wasn't that powerful, yet. Then they noticed that he had silver studs in his ears that weren't there before. Also that their daughter looked different, as well. 

"I told Harry I would do it to if he would." 

"I like your hair sweetie. Now, why don't you two freshen up then we'll eat. Hermione you can use our bathroom, and Harry can use the one in the hall." 

"Thank you," he replied before he carried his bags up to his room. 

Nothing felt as good as that shower by the time he got in. 

* * *

They spent the summer doing other things, such as seeing movies and other things. They had done some more shopping, but not nearly as much as that first day, just some things hear and there. They also learned other things about each other, like the fact that Hermione actually did like quidditch. She just liked frustrating Ron by calling the moves by the wrong names and saying it was a waste of time. They also went to see the second Lord of the Rings movie. Harry found it fascinating, though he had to wake Hermione several times (1). Other than when she fell asleep she enjoyed it to. They also bought several CD's. For Harry's birthday she got him a CD player. She knew by now that he would use that more than a book. He had admitted to have used them more for under the uneven post of his bed, then for actually reading. 

Also during the summer Harry actually got through his summer homework early this year. She also helped him actually learn what was in his books instead of just memorizing what he needed to know to pass the test. 

Finally it was time to meet Ron in Diagon Alley to get their new schoolbooks and get their robes adjusted. 

"How long is he going to take? We told him one." Harry was getting a bit impatient. 

"Sit down Harry. He still has fifteen minutes." 

Harry looked down at the new watch Draco had gotten him for his birthday. It would tell him what time it was when asked the time. Only the wearer could see it. It was a rather nice present. It was a rather expensive present. Hermione was right. It was only 12:47. 

Twenty minutes later he finally showed up. 

"Hi guys!" They turned around greeted Ronald Weasley. He hadn't changed much, though he had gotten taller. He was now a little bit over six feet. Taller than both Hermione and Harry, who were still under six, although Hermione was about an inch taller than him. 

"Hello Ron." They quickly hugged and then Hermione gave him a longer hug and a kiss on the cheek. 

"You two sure look different." He said hesitantly. Ron looked over friends taking in the changes. He noted that Harry's ears where pierced and that his girlfriend's hair had changed somehow. He noticed the other changes, as well, such as their clothes. /looks like they went on a shopping spree/ he thought, slightly bitter. /how could they do this to themselves?/ "Very different. And what in Merlin's name are you two wearing?!" 

"We decided do a little shopping. That's all." 

"Look like more than a little." He was a bit irritated that they would do this to him. He barely noticed that Harry had sped up and that he and Hermione were falling behind. Were they trying to show off that they were both richer then he was, or something? 

"Forget about it, Ron. Let just go and get our books like we planned." Hermione walked quicker to catch up with Harry. 

"Are you ok, Harry?" 

"Yeah. He can just be so irritating sometimes." Harry didn't exactly know what it was that was ticking him off. 

"I think I know what you mean." She glanced back at her boyfriend, who looked like he was talking to himself. 

Meanwhile, Ron mind was running on overtime. /What exactly was going on here. I leave them for one summer and everything seems to have turned upside down. And why did Harry get those earrings. Some guys can pull them off and still look straight, but he isn't one of them. Man, people will think I'm hanging out with a complete fag. And did Hermione just hug him? Was that a kiss! At least it was only on his cheek. What are they hiding?.../ 

"Hey guys!" 

Hermione and Harry looked back at him. They appeared to have forgotten that he was there. "Sorry Ron." They waited for him to catch up. 

The three of them went around to various stores to get their books until it was time to go home. They had agreed that Ron was going to stay with them for the final week of summer vacation. 

* * *

The trip back to Hermione's was tense to say the least. Hermione or Harry couldn't even hear any music on the ride, because the second one of them put in a CD and the music came on... 

"Uhh... turn that racket off! Guys, no offence intended. But neither of you have very good taste in music." Ron then leaned back in his seat and rested his eyes. He had decided that he should sit by his girlfriend. He was tired of the looks going between them. 

Hermione lifted her eyes to the rear-view mirror to meet Harry's. He was relaxing in the back seat and he rolled his eyes. 

"Ron, you can't talk about taste." She looked at him and ran her fingers through his hair, before retuning her eyes to the road. Uh! Hair gel. She rubbed her hand on her jeans, then put it back on the wheel. 

He opened one eye and closed it again, missing what she had done. Though, he had like the feeling of her hand through his hair. "What do you mean by that?" 

"Ron, you insist on wearing orange." 

"What about it?" 

"It clashes. You have red hair. You can't wear orange." 

"If you say so." Ron was a bit irritated about being told he had no taste. But then again, he had just told them they didn't. It was strange with things being Harry, Hermione, and Ron, instead of Harry, Ron, and Hermione (2). Maybe things would get back to normal when school was in. 

* * *

(Later that night) 

"What's the answer to this question?" Ron asked from the floor below. There were only three rooms in the house and Harry had been staying in the guest bedroom. 

"Can't you do your own homework? I'm kind of trying to read." Harry sighed, and went back to his book. Hermione had gotten him to try a series called Everworld. Pretty decent actually, though it was a bit on the short side. 

"Oh, come on Harry. Me and you always do our homework together." 

"I did it already. Now be quiet, I'm at the good part." He flipped the page. He wanted to find out if they were going to escape from Hel before he went to bed. (3) 

Ron just gaped at his friend. "Y-you did it all. Already! Summer's not even over yet!" 

"Yeah well, me and Hermione did it already." Harry was hardly paying attention to a thing Ron said. April had just used Galahad's sword to hack into Hel's side. No! Wrong side. That's the dead side, idiot! You can't hurt something that's already dead! Geez! 

"You're becoming just like her! You can't pay attention to me, and your nose is always in a book!" Ron put away his work and pulled the covers up. /That book can't be that bloody interesting!/ he muttered to himself. /He's not even listening!/ 

"Um, Ron... I'm not your girlfriend. And I'm sure that this is the first book you've seen me read since you got here. It's not even that big, and besides you were doing homework." 

Ron was quiet for a while before speaking again. "Fun summer, huh?" 

"Yeah." He turned another page. 

"You and Hermione-" 

"Are just friends, Ron. She's like my sister. Or, well, she would be if I had a sister." Harry replied. He shrugged and put down the book. As glad as he was to see Ron, Harry could see that he wasn't going to get any further, and was a bit annoyed. 

/Thank, god. He put that damn book away./ "Oh." He paused for a second. "Harry, what's with the earrings?" Ron said from the floor. 

I was wondering when he would get around to asking, Harry laughed to himself. "Hermione talked me into getting them. I'm used to them by now, I guess. Why?" 

"It's just that, well, they look sort of, well... nice glasses Harry." /How do I tell him!/ 

"Ron." Harry threw one of the pillows at him. 

"Huh." He grabbed the pillow before it hit him and put under his head. 

"Don't change the subject." 

"Sort of gay. That's all." 

"Would you have a problem with it if I was?" Harry raised and eyebrow. If he had another pillow he would have thrown that one at him too. 

"Are you?" 

"...Go to sleep, Ron." Harry turned over in the bed with his back towards Ron. He reached over to touch the lamp. Hermione's parents had those neat touch lamps. 

After that Ron was left to his own thoughts. 

/Of coarse I would care if you were gay! That would be so discussing!/ Ron stopped for a second. /What if he is?/ Ron shook his head, as if to clear the thought. /Of coarse he isn't. He's probably shagging every girl in Hogwarts. Yeah./ Ron let himself drift asleep to his reassuring thoughts. 

His eyes flew open. /What if he like's me!/ 

* * *

(A week later on the Hogwarts Express) 

Things between them had started out tense, and now it was no better. Ron had made it obvious that he didn't approve of him and Hermione. Though, he was trying to keep quiet about this to some extent. 

All of a sudden Harry pulled Hermione out of her seat over to the window. 

"Look!" Harry said urgently. His eyes had sparkled a bit. 

"What is it?!" Hermione brain had just caught up with the rest of her body. She stared out the window for a second. Then she spotted who he had been looking at. She hadn't known what to expect seeing him again this year. "Oh my god!" He is cute, beautiful, handsome... whatever adjective you wanted to use. 

"Guys. What are you looking at?" He was still surprised from Harry grabbing his girlfriend. He remembered after a moment that Harry wasn't interested in her. But what could have grabbed both of their attention? And who out there was worth Hermione's attention!? Her jaw had dropped practically. And she was his! Or at least he thought she was his. They hadn't really done anything more than hug. That kiss in Diagon Alley was pretty much the only one they had shared. 

Draco saw them in the window as he passed and saluted at them, with a smile on his face. He then pulled a dark haired boy behind him onto the train. Hermione continued to watch boy until he was out of sight. It took her a second to place his name. Blaise Zabini. 

"Harry! Hermione! Hello... I'm still here! Is anybody there?!" 

Harry and Hermione seemed to realize that Ron was still sitting behind them. 

"Oh! It's was nothing, Ron." Harry blushed and dropped Hermione's hand. 

"Yeah. It was nothing." Hermione repeated. /He had nice eyes./ she admitted. 

"Then what was out there that had BOTH of you drooling like a couple of dogs!" 

"Are you comparing me to a dog, Ronald Weasly!?" Hermione scowled at the redheaded boy. 

"No! It was just an expression!" 

"Well, it's not a very good one!" Hermione then pulled out a pair of muggle earphones and a book, and then proceeded to ignore Ron for the rest of the ride. 

"You need to watch what you say, Ron." Harry said in a slightly cold voice. He had just about had enough of this. Ron would blow up at them for every single miniscule thing. 

"I just never know what's going on with you two anymore! First you two are keeping secrets, then you and Hermione start acting so strange after spending the summer together. Holding her hand and hugging on her. If you weren't my best friend I would think that you two were going out behind my back!" Ron screamed before sitting back in his seat and sulked. 

"Ron. You are an idiot if you think that Hermione and I are going out. We don't like each other like that! We just understand each other. That's all. She more like a sister to me, as I told you already." He sat down beside Ron and nudged him in the side to get him to look at him. 

Ron looked up to scrutinize Hermione in front of him. "I just don't understand what's going on. Last year I thought that I knew everything about you two and now I feel like I'm missing out on a big secret that neither of you will tell me about." He then faced Harry. 

"There's nothing wrong or anything. I assure you of that, Ron." He ended the conversation with this and spent the rest of the time staring out the window. 

* * *

Chapter 1   
Chapter 3 


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter 3 

* * *

(Gryffindor Common room, a couple days later) 

"Guy's!" Ron yelled. He had come tearing up the stairs. He dropped onto the couch beside Hermione, out of breath. Harry was seated in the window seat watching the quidditch game below. 

"You'll never guess-" he gasped, "what I just heard!" He giggled and tossed himself over his girlfriend's lap. "It's Malfoy!" He laughed so hard he hiccupped and fell onto the floor. 

Harry perked at the mention of his lover. "What about him?" 

"I over heard him talking with that twit, Zabini." He hiccupped again. "He said, and I quote, 'I hear your boyfriend...'," he trailed off while trying to remember the rest, which was impossilble as he had tuned the rest of the conversaion out. If he had continued listening Ron would have heard Blaise mention Harry soon after. "Well, the rest doesn't matter. MALFOY HAS A BOYFRIEND!!!" He exclaimed, grabbing his stomach as he laughed. "Oh, we can use this juicy bit of information for years to come! He will never call me 'Weasel' again." He cackled with glee. 

"You will do no such thing, Ronald Benedict Weasly! (1)" Hermione exclaimed. 

"Uhh, why not? This is our chance to get back at him." He stared at her. "Come on, Harry! You have my back, don't you?" His eyes pleaded with him. 

Harry didn't say anything at first, instead he decided to change the subject. "That just isn't right... You're middle name is Benedict?" 

"How would you like it if people teased you about your sexual orientation?" 

He pointedly ignore comment about his name. "Not right?! Haw can you say that it wouldn't be right?! He deserves anything I do to that little bastard. And besides why would I be teased about the fact that I like girls. I mean, really Harry. That only the normal way to do things if you're a guy. Guys shag girls and girls shag guys. That the way it goes! Although girl on girl is ok some of the time." He huffed. /pouf/ he thought to himself. His face slowly turned red. 

"Accio." Harry summoned his broom and flew out the window without saying a word. 

"Ron!" Hermione frowned. 

"What did I do!? It's not my fault if he doesn't accept it. Gay people are not to be accepted. At least not in any normal society." He glowered. His good mood had been ruined. 

Fuming, Hermione darted up the stairs. 

/alone again. Damn it!/ Ron stared around him in surprise. 

* * *

(The Leaky Cauldron: a day later) 

"...and then my star chart read that I would loose my way along the road, and that I would loose all those close to me. Ridiculous isn't it! I should have dropped that class long ago. If I had known that you were going to then I would have dropped it as well, this year. Now I'm stuck with it. Hey, do you think it isn't too late?" Ron said around a mouthful of chocolate frog. 

"Yes. You waited to late. You have to do any schedule changes done before school starts." Hermione replied, then took a sip of her soda. 

"Oh. Harry, what are you thinking about?" He waved his hand in front of Harry's face. He had been quietly staring out the window, while he sipped his butterbeer. He had barely heard any of the conversation so far. His eyes snapped back from the window when he heard Ron calling his name. 

"Harry!" 

Harry stared at the boy in front of him. ...do as I tell you...obey...OBEY ME...

"Oh come on. You're not still mad, Harry. Are you?" Ron asked. He didn't like look in his eyes. Harry's eyes were blank. Unseeing. 

"Harry! What's wrong?" Worry was written across her face. She reached out to shake her shoulder. 

"Huh..." He blinked his eyes, refocusing on his friend's concerned faces. "What did you say?" 

"Harry, what happened?" Hermione asked. 

"I don't remember." A lie. He heard the voice again. ...obey....the unheard voice whispered. "Um...I'm a bit tired, guys. I'll see you later." He left before they could say a word. 

"Do you think he's still mad?" 

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Gods, you are dense." She got up to see if she could catch Harry but he was long gone. /what happened/ she asked herself. 

* * *

They were sitting in the Great Hall for dinner. Harry was sitting in between Ron and Hermione, since she wasn't talking to the red-headed boy. 

"Hermione." Harry whispered in her ear. 

"Huh." 

"I'm going to go hang out with Draco later. Are you coming?" 

Was Harry asking her to go with him on his date? "Umm, sure. Are you sure I wouldn't be imposing?" 

"Yeah. I asked him to bring a friend along, so you wouldn't get lonely." 

"Who is it?" Her curiosity was starting to increase. 

"Blaise Zabini." 

"Oh!" She blushed. Hermione had noticed the boy watching her for a while, and he was rather handsome. She then saw the far off look in his eyes again. "Harry, are you ok?" 

He turned back to her and gave her a slight smile. "It's nothing 'Mione. I'm fine.... Really." He continued eating. 

Unknown to them Ron was watching them the hole time. His anger began to show itself when he saw Harry scoot closer to her and whisper something in Hermione's ear. He remembered that Harry had compared her to his sister, but couldn't he back off of her, just a little bit. And she shouldn't be comfortable being that close to someone else other than him. /She's practically in his lap, for Merlin's sake!/ But, then again... 

Ron got fed up watching them in a private conversation. He slammed down his fork and stomped off, back to Gryffindor tower. 

"We're really going to have to talk to him at some point." Harry muttered, he wasn't looking forward to that. 

"I know. I should probably go after him." Hermione whispered. She was unsure about what to do. 

"Yeah. Do you want me to go with you?" Harry asked. He wasn't sure if he wanted to leave her alone with Ron when he was in this type of mood. Ron may have been his best friend, but he would be the first to admit that Ron had a temper. 

"No, it'll be fine." With that Hermione made her way up. She did not noticing the blue eyes watching her with mild interest, from the Slytherin table. 

* * *

Hermione was able to placate Ron. When Harry got up to the tower he saw that Hermione had been able to get Ron to play her a game of wizards' chess. She must really been trying to make him happy. She didn't even like wizards' chess. Harry sat in the chair beside Ron. He watched. 

Ron won the match. But just barely. 

* * *

Once Ron had fallen asleep Harry quickly got dressed and looked around in his trunk for his invisibility cloak. He then snuck out of the boy dorms and into the girl's. They had separate rooms unlike the guys, and Hermione had given him permission to enter. Without it any boys would have been unable to enter. It was to give them privacy. 

He lightly tapped on the door and was immediately answered. Hermione was already dressed. 

"I waited up for you." She looked at the clothes Harry had chosen for the night. He had worn the form-fitting long sleeve black shirt along with a baggy pair of black pants. He looked good in them to say the least. She herself had worn the light blue tank and black jeans. Along with it was a simple gold necklace with a small blue topaz jewel that Hermione's parents had given her for her birthday. 

Harry nodded and tossed the cloak over them. They silently made their way down to the dungeons. When they got to the statue Harry whispered the password 'dragoon'. The statue moved aside to let them pass. 

"Harry, why are we heading right into the Slytherin common room?" she hissed. 

"It doesn't matter, Hermione." Harry turned around, leering. "They already know." He laughed slightly and continued forward. 

Hermione stared at him for a second before following. "And you couldn't tell ME sooner!" 

"Shh. You'll wake up Snape. I was afraid that you would tell Ron." 

"Aren't you worried that they may tell somebody." She was having a harder time grasping the fact that most of Slytherin knew and that she had only found out this summer. "Namely Voldemort!" 

"No. They're either too scared of Draco to risk it, or they're afraid that Snape will give them a months worth of detention, which is not fun, by the way. He doesn't want it to get out that his favorite student is dating a Gryffindor. Namely, the 'Boy-Who-Lived'." He smirked at the memory. 

* * *

(Flashback to the middle of 5th year) 

Harry and Draco were lying in the afterglow of a night well spent. Draco was currently playing in Harry's hair when the heard the thump of the door hitting the wall. 

"What's going on in there!?" They heard Snape's voice boom as he entered the room. 

"Oh shit!" Harry and Draco scrambled to get their clothes on. Luckily they still had the curtain drawn around Draco's bed. 

Snape snatched the curtain back. They had forgotten the silencing charm. 

They saw Snape glaring down at them in surprise, with an equally surprised Blaise in tow. Draco, who had been reaching for his pants, collapsed across Harry and started laughing when he realized who was there. He wasn't worried. He didn't have a reason to be. 

"Mr. Malfoy?" He asked quietly. "If I may ask, is this your idea of a joke?! You are the one caught wrapped around HIM." Snape was a bit irked that he was the one being laughed at when Draco was the one being caught in this most undesirable act. 

"You won't do anything." Draco got a really smug look on his face; he rolled of of Harry only to cuddle close to Harry's side. Neither one further bothered to dress themselves, although Harry was frozen at being caught. 

"And why wouldn't I?" Snape was beginning to look more pissed off, while Blaise was contemplating how to handle the situation. It's not everyday that you see your best friend in bed with his "worst enemy". And enjoying it, by the looks of it. He was now possibly regretting having gone to get the Professor. Draco was going to kill him. 

"'Potter' here has told me a few things. Some regarding you." Draco had a rather satisfied smirk on his face. 

"I can't think of anything that he could know." /not that it would really matter/ Snape glanced at Harry, who was currently looking rather uncomfortable having been caught. As much as seeing Potter scared would usually be the highlight of his day, the context of finding him in bed with his favourite student cancelled it out. 

"Remember you buisness with the Order? Something my father would surely love to know. And Voldemort, no doubt. Are you sure that you don't know what I'm talking about? I could elaborate." He glanced at Blaise. 

Blaise was one of the few Slytherins whose parents hadn't openly sided with Voldemort, before they died. He was rather glad, because it meant that he wasn't expected to become a deatheater. Although, he was still somewhat of an outcast, in his sixth year, among most of Slytherin, where nearly everyone was intended to become Death Eaters. Though no new Death Eaters had been taken lately. Draco was one of the few people who would still talk to him. Then there were the ones who knew about his parents affiliantion with the dark arts.... 

"That's ok, Mr. Malfoy. I've gotten the hint, which you have so graciously pointed out." /and you have no idea.../ Snape glared at him. He didn't like having his so called secrets out in the open with the child of Lucius. Even if he was one of his brightest students. And it had been him who had told him! 

Snape whirled around and left the room. The only immediate problem now was Blaise and the other Slytherins who had woken up, and were peeking out of their curtains. It only took one glare from Draco for them to scramble back into their beds. 

Draco climbed out the bed, pulling Harry along with him, who hadn't quite figured out what to make of the situation. At least he had been covered during most of the conversation.... 

"Blaise. Downstairs, now." All signs of mirth were gone from his face. This was no longer a laughing matter. He had to ensure that this wouldn't get back to his father, or they were all most likely dead. 

(end flashback) 

* * *

"Even Snape knows!" She was quieter this time. "How the hell did that happen?" They had reached the common room by now. 

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth, Mione." Harry teased. 

"We were found in bed." The voice came from behind them. Draco came up behind Harry and kissed him on the neck. "Mmm... nice outfit, Harry. Much better then the trash you got from you over-weight cousin." 

Harry turned and they shared an actual kiss. "Thought you would. Missed you." 

Hermione blushed. Knowing wasn't the same as seeing. Well at least Malfoy hasn't told her to beat it, yet. 

"Yeah, and I was the first person to hear them." Blaise got up from his place on the sofa. "Hello. I do believe that you are Miss Granger." He held her hand up to his lips and kissed it. "I think you're my date for the evening." 

"Um. I have a boyfriend." She started blushing again when his lips touched her skin. "So what are we going to do tonight?" 

Draco pulled away from Harry. "Granger, glad you could make it." He nodded, still smiling. He then grabbed Harry's hand and said, "Blaise managed to bring in a couple of muggle movies. We were going to watch them on his television." 

"You know about muggle movies AND have a television set!?" Hermione was almost speechless at this point. It was almost too much. Malfoy, the person who had called her a mudblood for years and hated anything muggle, was talking about watching TV as if he did it all the time. 

"Yes, dear." Blaise gave a lecherous smile and led her to the couch. 

"I thought I told you-" 

"I know. You have a boyfriend. He can't be much of a boyfriend if you're here with a group of horny guys instead of with him," he said in a suggestive voice causing her to blush. 

For a second Hermione stared into his light blue eyes, before she shook herself out of her stupor. What am I doing?! She asked herself. "Well, he's asleep right now." 

"Is he, now?" Blaise's smile widened 

Harry and Draco came back down the stairs. They had gone up to get Blaise's TV. The DVD player was connected to it. 

"Just wondering, how are we going to watch them? This castle doesn't have electricity." Hermione inquired. 

"Blaise charmed it." Draco replied, surprisingly with none of his usual frostiness towards her. It was... pleasant, actually. 

"None of the others will touch it." Blaise rolled his eyes. "They don't know a good thing when they see it." She was surprised with him. He was far nicer than she thought. 

"Well guys. Let's go ahead and start the movies." 

Draco stretched out on the couch and Harry squeezed in beside him. Draco proceeded and draped his arms around him. /they're seem so right for each other/ Hermione thought. She was stuck beside Blaise, who kept leaning in closer.

Hermione glanced up at him, before quickly turning back to the screen. /This might not be so bad./ 

* * *

Over all it was a great night. It opened her eyes to some things a bit. She was almost sorry when her and Harry had to leave. He was starting to fall asleep on Draco's arm on their end of the sofa. That wouldn't have been that much of a problem except that he had to get Hermione back under the invisibility cloak. 

"Harry, wake up." Draco nudged Harry to wake him. 

"I don' wanna..." Harry mumbled and pulled on Draco's arm tighter. Then Draco felt something cold touch his arm. He looked down and his face turned as white as a sheet. 

"YOU DROOLED ON ME!!!" 

"Wha?" Harry asked groggily and looked down at the arm he had been laying on. Indeed there was a trail of clear slime going down Draco's arm. "Sorry." He yawned and almost leaned back against Draco to go back asleep. 

"No you don't, Harry. You will clean this up! I'm not going to touch it!" 

"But your already touching it, Draco. It's on your arm." Harry mummbled; he was beggining to wake up and he wasn't happy. 

"I won't ever let you fall asleep on me again if you don't get this off my arm!" He did his best to hold the arm with the offending substance as far away as he could. 

"Fine," Harry yawned, then pulled out his wand and cast a cleaning spell. "Now let me go back to sleep, would you. You're comfortable..." 

It took Draco a few more minutes to extract himself from Harry's grip. 

Meanwhile, Blaise took this opportunity to "get closer" to Hermione. "So. Have more fun than you thought you would have, didn't you." Blaise asked Hermione. 

"Actually, yes." 

"Why don't you come back soon? I'm tired of being stuck with them all the time. Sure they're fun to watch, but sometimes it's better to have someone else around." He gave a low laugh. 

/Are all Slytherins like this?/ She thought of Crabbe and Goyle, and decided not. "I think I would enjoy that actually. I don't know very many people outside of Gryffindor." 

He quickly kissed her on the cheek before they left. /How did that happen/ she thought as Harry finished his good-byes. 

* * *

"Be careful with him, Hermione," Harry said to her while they walking back the stairs to join the rest of the school. 

"Huh?" She had been lost in thought over what had happened earlier. 

"Just saying be careful, I don't want some big love triangle going on where you're dating both Ron and him. Someone will get hurt, whether it's you, or Ron. Or Blaise for that matter." 

"I know, Harry. I don't know why he kissed me. Besides, it was only on the cheek." 

"Just be careful." 

"I'll try." 

* * *

(a couple days later) 

/Damn!/ Ron thought as ran back to his dorm room. He had left his divination book and Harry had dropped the class this year, so he couldn't look off of his anymore. /Damn you Harry! You couldn't have just kept this one class!/ He had been already upset when Harry had just about changed his whole schedule, but now it was just irritating. 

Trelawny was being particularly vindictive today. Without Harry's doom to 'predict' she took to making his life as miserable as possible. She had given him five minutes to go get his book or it was a whole week of detention. Five minutes! To run all the way from the astronomy tower to Gryffindor tower. It took ten minutes at the very least! Merlin, the woman was worse than Snape. 

He stormed into the room and heard a loud moaning from Harry's bed. Was Harry sick? Without thinking he grabbed to curtain open, but wasn't prepared for the sight before him. Skin, everywhere. Skin on skin. Particularly Draco Malfoy's skin against Harry's in a way that he never wanted to see. 

"What the blo-" 

"Ron!" Harry interrupted. "What are you doing here!?" Harry continued to stare at him while Draco searched for his wand in the covers; it wasn't there. 

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?!" Ron glared at the couple in the bed. "For that matter what is HE doing here?" 

"I was enjoying myself until you rudely interrupted. Honestly, didn't your mother teach you any manners?" Draco replied before Harry had the chance to reply. 

"Draco, not right now..." He whined and fell back onto the bed and pulled the blankets further up and turned into Draco's side. "Can you fix this please; I don't really feel like dealing with this right now. I suddenly have a headache...." 

"You- What do you mean fix!" Ron almost stepped back when Draco stepped out of the bed and pulled on a pair of pants (they looked sort of like a pair of Harry's), but he didn't want to show Malfoy any weakness by not standing his ground. Though, he did blush when noticed he didn't have on any underwear. 

"Uh... Ron! Not now." 

"Yes now. I want to talk NOW!" Ron's face was redder than his hair now and Harry would have laughed but his headache prevented him from anymore then a chuckle. 

"Harry, where are the painkillers." Draco was ignoring Ron while rummaging around Harry's trunk. 

"Stay out of that!" 

"Quit your whining, Weasel." 

"Draco!" he patronized. "Your wand is is the drawer." Harry moaned. 

"Oh, yeah." He smirked and pulled it out of the nightstand beside the bed. Draco helped Harry before he turned back to Ron. 

"There, now it's your turn." 

"You won't touch me Malfoy." Ron drew his wand and he realized how stupid he was to have just stood there this whole time. 

"Like I would touch you. I would shag Hermione before I willingly touch you with so much as a pinkie." Draco sat on the bed still pointing his wand at the redhead. 

"Don't talk about her like that. What gives you the right to call her that!?" Ron yelled at the aloof boy in front of him. 

"Why are you still standing there?" Draco yawned. 

"Why are you still sitting there!" 

"Amusing myself, but you're getting annoying now. Obliviate." Draco said the spell before Ron could say anything else. He then cast petrificus on him before he oriented himself. The boy froze on the spot and fell flat on his face. He leaned back on Harry legs and nudged him. "Harry we have to move him." A soft snore answered him. He smiled at the sleeping boy and shook his head. "Never mind." He levitated Ron's body to next bed over, not caring whose it was. He crawled back into the bed and placed a charm on the curtains before he pulled Harry close and shut his eyes. 

* * *

Chapter 2   
Chapter 4 


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter 4 

* * *

(the next day) 

Harry, Blaise, Draco, and Hermione had decided that they should all go out for the night. They had already had several nights in, as well as some in Hogsmeade. Hermione and Blaise were still the major issue. She was unsure about if she should continue with Ron, or make it official that she was going with Blaise. 

"Where are we going anyway, Harry?" They were at lunch discussing what they doing later. Ron was currently talking with one of his brothers. They were on slightly better standing with him these days. When they weren't with sneaking off to be with Draco and Blaise, they were with him. Ron had also taken the hint and stopped asking about what was going on, even if he was still a little suspicious. Things were better this way. 

"The Magic Cup." 

"That club! It's on the corner between Diagon Ally and Knockturn Alley! Are you serious, Harry?" She hissed. 

"It'll be fun!" Harry smiled at her at her. "Just come. It'll be fun, I promise. And you'll have I-told-you-so rights if I'm wrong! Besides, Draco wouldn't have suggested it if it wasn't. Also I'm sure that Blaise will keep you company, since he has developed a liking towards you." She caught herself before she smiled at this. She knew that she would have to do something about that... eventually. 

"By the way, did I tell you about what happened yesterday?" 

* * *

Fred had grabbed him away from Hermione and Harry on the way down to lunch. 

"Ron. Stay up here." 

"Why?" He glanced down and saw that they were waiting on him. 

"I have to talk to you! It's important." He flicked a glance at Harry and Hermione. The two were beginning to look a bit impatient. 

Ron sighed. "Guys I'll see you later, ok?" 

"Yeah." Hermione walked up a couple steps and planted a light kiss of his lips before she and Harry left, without looking back. 

* * *

Ron and his brother made their way back up into the common room. He collapsed in the couch beside the fire. 

"Ok , Fred. What is it?" He was a bit irked about being separated from his girlfriend, especially when things where going so well. 

"Ron, I don't know how to tell you this." Fred was looking surprisingly unsettled. 

"It would help if you would actually say it, so that I can get to lunch." 

"Last Friday... me and George saw Harry and Hermione headed towards the dungeons." 

"Yeah? And why were YOU down there?" 

"We where going to play a 'small' prank on Malfoy. But, that isn't the point. They didn't come back out until late night. We think that they're up to something." 

"I doubt it. This is Harry and Hermione, Fred. We've know them since my first year. Sure, they've been a little different this year, but it's still them." 

"More than a little, Ron. Harry's pierced and dresses in black, plus he's acting odder than ususal, and Hermione is actually dressing like a girl. And I don't think it was your influence that got to them. I think it's the slytherins." 

"They probably had the same thing in mind that you did. Or they possibly just had detention with Snape, or something!" Ron didn't like having these things pointed out to him. Especially when he was just starting to not notice as much. 

"Ron. They are two of the smartest people we know. I really don't think they're dumb enough to get a detention with Snape! At least not Hermione. Harry can get a detention out of Snape if he did a potion perfectly. There's another thing! Before this year Harry almost had the worst grades, barely above Neville! Although, that was understandable, considering that he hasn't had a break since he started at hogwarts, but now he almost aces POTIONS, for Merlin's sake! And what type of detention would Snape give them down there. They actually went down into the common room. Not just into the dungeons! They knew the Slytherin's password, also." /...just too bad I didn't hear it!/ Fred stopped for a second to slow his breathing. 

"They haven't said anything about playing any pranks on them to me." Ron looked puzzled. 

"That's what I thought. I don't know what's going on exactly, but I know that I don't like it." 

"I'm sure it's nothing Fred," he snapped. Fred may be his brother, but he still didn't like him talking about his friends like they were involved in some big conspiracy. Never mind that he had been thinking that they were keeping something from him only days before. 

"If you're so sure then come with me and George tonight. Prove that there isn't anything going on." 

"What?" He looked at his brother incredulously. 

"We asked Harry to go down to Hogsmeade with us and he said that he had plans with you and Hermione." 

"But we don't have any plans. They told me they weren't feeling well and would probably be going to bed early." He looked puzzled, and suddenly interested in where this was going. 

"Exactly! Why would they lie?" Fred looked triumphant, though a little sad about being right. 

"Fine. I'll come." He grumbled. It was time to get to the bottom of this. 

"Good. Just be ready to leave tonight." 

"What if we get caught?" 

"We'll use his map." 

* * *

Hermione chose to wear the black and blue silk tank with the kanji along with the leather jeans. She had her hair braided back into four braids that went to about the middle of her back, and had left some of her bangs down. She then applied dark red eyeliner and laced up a pair of black boots. 

As always, her and Harry met in her room before leaving. "You look good, Hermione." 

She looked him over before replying. "So do you. Black. Well at least you know it matches." And it was true. He had chosen loose, only slightly baggy, black pants that had a thin silver chain-belt around the waist. He also had on a black button down shirt that revealed another thin chain that rested at the base of his neck. On his wrist there show a couple of silver bands that showed slightly through the sleeves. To complete the outfit were the silver earrings, which Hermione hadn't given to him until the last moment. "They really do look good on you." She reached up to touch the light metal. "Sort of exotic." 

"So I've been told." He smirked slightly. "We still have 10 minutes until we have to meet them." He sat down in the chair by her desk. She sat on the bed. 

"You seem pretty comfortable. Happy, even. I'm glad." 

"I've been with Draco for over a year. We decided long ago that we should do things together. What type of relationship would it be all we did was have sex? Sure, it would be fun... very very fun…" His eyes glazed over while he trailed off. 

"Harry!" 

"Huh? Oh! But there are other things. Besides, we still have fun, just the two of us. Blaise just hangs around half the time. And now so do you." 

"Oh, sorry. I didn't think that I was interfering or anything." She looked a bit mortified for a second. She never realized that she might be taking up some of their alone time. 

"You aren't. We get together on our own, whenever you guys aren't around." He gave a toothy grin to show just how much he enjoyed the get aways. All four of them had actually on gotten together only a couple times in the last month or so. Draco no longer insulted her and they even had a couple of civilized conversations. You could imagine Ron's reaction when Draco actually nodded at her in the hall. He had decided that he liked Hermione enough to stop outright insulting her. Ron now got the majority of the taunts and jibes that were thrown their way. He still insulted them a bit so that they wouldn't be seen as the almost-friends, in Hermione's case, and lovers, in Harry's, that they were. As to not raise suspicions. 

* * *

Fred had been listening behind closed curtains for when Harry left. He then climbed out of bed and made his way over to Ron's. Even though his brother was already dressed as promised, he had dozed off under the covers. 

"Hey, Ron!" Fred shook his brother until he was awake. 

"Uh... I'm awake. I'm awake!" 

"Come then! They've left already!" 

"Huh? Who left?" Ron looked confused. 

"We're following Harry and Hermione tonight. Remember!" 

"Oh yeah." He frowned for a second. He was still unhappy about having to do this. 

"Ron! Quit dawdling and get out of bed! George is waiting for us in the common room with the map." They quickly snuck down the stairs to meet their brother. 

* * *

"You look lovely this evening, my dear Megami (1)." As always, he kissed her hand when they arrived, causing her to blush. 

She had asked him one time why he kissed her even though she had a boyfriend; she had also slilently asked herself why she let him. He had said when he knew what he wanted he did his best to get it, and that there was nothing Ron could do about it. She didn't want to cheat on Ron. It went against her morals. But, Hermione just couldn't get Blaise out of her mind. He was so sweet, even though he had gained a reputation of playing around with the girls, throughout the other houses. Although he wasn't really accepted among most of Slytherin, he had still been sorted there for a reason. That was all they were concerned with. Maybe he had changed, or everyone had been wrong about him? 

"Thank you." 

Harry entered the room once Hermione cleared the doorway. "Where's Draco?" He had yet to show. 

"He's still finishing up. You know how he is. Takes longer to do his hair than most females." 

"Is he really that bad?" Hermione asked. She had decided that it was useless to take offence. 

"He spent a full hour on his hair one time." He smirked. "That's Draco with all his prissiness." 

"I'm not prissy, just thorough." Draco came down the stairs dressed in black and silver with another invisibility cloak draped over his arm. The silver shirt clung to his body like a second skin; the unbuttoned collar came to just below his collar bone. It wasn't hard to see what Harry saw in him, as far as his body went, anyway. Draco was like a Greek Adonis transported into modern times. Harry immediately approached him and gave him a full kiss on the mouth. 

"Are you ready to leave now?" Draco said after a moment when they broke away. 

"You're the one we've been waiting on." Blaise said, a bit irritated. 

"Well then let's go." He put his arm around Harry's waist and they made their way out. 

* * *

"Shh! They're coming out!" 

"Where! I don't see anything." 

"They're under an invisibility cloak, you idiot! Look at the map." 

"Oh, there! Why are Malfoy and Zabini with them?!" 

"How should I know!?" 

"That's what we're following them for, you dolt." 

"Quit calling me names!" 

"Quit being so stupid!" 

"Damnit! Will you guys be quiet before they hear us!" 

"We are being quiet!" 

"Fred, they're heading out to Hogsmeade." 

"Ouch! You tripped me on purpose!" 

"Where's the light?" 

"It wasn't me! It was Fred!" 

"Put you wand over here so I can see." 

"No it wasn't!" 

"Forget it! Just look at the map and follow them." 

"But-" 

"Stupify!" 

* * *

"Did anyone hear that?" Harry stopped for a second, listening. 

"Just a couple of red-heads and a Weasel." Draco quipped. 

"Can you please not him that." Harry pleaded. 

"And he can call me ferret-boy without you telling him to stop it?" Draco actually sounded hurt. 

"I think you're mature enough to not say it first first." 

"Harry, that sentence made very little sense. How about this. I'll only call him a weasel to his face, which he his by the way, and a fat idiot with a fat ass too, now that I think about it, if he calls me ferret-boy. Happy now?" 

"Yes." He squeezed his boyfriend before he let him go, smiling. 

"Now what are we going to do about the Gryfs? Present company obviously accepted." Blaise came into the conversation. 

"We could stun them." Hermione said. She didn't feel right using anything stronger and decided to speak up before someone else did. She was already a bit sorry about the Ron situation. 

"That'll work." Draco nodded, although no one could see him. On the count of two." 

"One..." 

"Two..." 

"Stupefy!" After that came the sound of three bodies hitting the floor. 

"Will they be ok?" Hermione asked. 

"Yeah. They'll just be knocked out for a couple of hours." Blaise smiled as he looked down at the unconscious boys on the floor. He was a Slytherin after all. Just because he wasn't evil didn't mean that he didn't like having one up on people. 

"Why two?" Harry asked as a last minute thought. 

"Because, everyone else counts to three." 

"Oh." 

* * *

The night was amazing. 

Blaise spent the whole night by Hermione's side, aside from a few exceptions. They were currently holding their table for when Harry and Draco actually made it off the dance floor. The club was packed. 

"All over each other, aren't they?" Draco currently had his hand up Harry's shirt. The other was making its way further down the back. "I'll just love it when get all sexy on the dance floor," Blaise whispered. "They're perfect for each other. Draco has the moves and Harry has the perfect grace. Or is it the other way around?" 

"I think they're about equal." They had been watching Harry and Draco for about half an hour. They had only come back for minimal breaks or a drink. A couple of time's Harry took Hermione out on the floor, though it was much, much tamer. Draco and Blaise even had a go at it, just for fun. Currently they were dancing to Toxicity by System of a down. The club alternated between wizarding bands and muggle bands to keep things interesting. Although, whether System of a Down were wizards or muggles, it had yet to be decided. The music was kept interesting though. You never knew what to expect. "They certainly have a passion." 

A slow song started up at that second. "What do you say, do we loose the table and go dance... or sit here and drink till' we drink ourselves silly?" Blaise asked Hermione. He had stood up and was holding his hand out to her. 

"Dance." She put her hand in Blaise's and they made their was onto the floor. 

* * *

Harry and Draco held each other as they swayed to the music. They liked the slow dances as well as the more up beat ones. They like having the chance to just hold each other as they danced slowly. 

"They seem to be getting along." 

"Who?" Harry lifted his head from Draco's shoulder. 

"Blaise and Hermione." 

Harry looked over to the other couple on the floor. Blaise was holding Hermione close and they slowly danced. "Think he really cares about her? I may like Blaise but I will not allow him to harm her." Harry bit his lip for a second, before he put his head back down. 

"I think he does. He hasn't allowed anyone but us around her all night." 

"And you have?" 

"I simply don't find most people worthy of her attention." He looked flustered. 

"You really do like her, don't you?" Harry teased. 

"She's ok." 

Harry simply smiled and pulled Draco close. They danced the night away. 

* * *

Across the floor Blaise pulled Hermione into their first real kiss. And she let him. 

-,---, -,---, -,---, -,---,   
look around, wonder why   
we can live a life that's never satisfied   
lonely hearts, troubled minds   
looking for a way that we can never find 

many roads are ahead of us   
with choices to be made   
but life's just one of the games we play   
there is no special way 

Make the best of what's given you   
everything will come in time   
why deny yourself   
don't let life pass you by   
like winter in July 

future dreams can never last   
when you find yourself still living in the past   
keep moving on to higher ground   
looking for the way that you thought could not be found   
-Sara Brightman   
-,---, -,---, -,---, -,---, 

Later, they had to go their separate ways, as much as they hated to part. On their way back Hermione and Harry retreived the Weasly brother from the broom closet where they had left the. Once there Harry lowered them into their beds, he then went to bed himself, exhausted. 

* * *

(next morning) 

"Harry. Where's Ron?" Hermione was concerned when she had noticed that he hadn't come down for breakfast. 

"He was still out when I went to wake him up." 

"That's strange." 

"Yeah, I know. You would think that one of them would have woken up by now. They never miss breakfast and that charm isn't that strong." 

"Maybe they'll wake up later." 

"Yeah." 

* * *

(Monday) 

Draco sent him a note in class through one of the Slytherins telling Harry to stay after class. 

"So, where are the Weasly's?" 

"Worried about them?" Harry teased. 

"No. Just curious. I don't have any reason to worry. I could handle them. It just wouldn't be good for my image if I had the likes of them as my personal stalkers. We forgot to obliviate them, Harry." 

"You're just paranoid. They'll probably just write the whole thing off as a dream. They've had joint dreams before. Which is easy to understand since Fred and George are twins, but that doesn't explain Ron. It just something weird that happens sometimes." 

"Strange friends you have." 

"No stranger than you, Drake." 

"I'm not strange!" 

"Yes you are. You're just the only one who doesn't realize it." 

"..." 

"Sorry." Draco wouldn't look at him. Harry wrapped his arms around Draco's waist. "I didn't mean to insult you." 

"I know." Draco began to lean into Harry. 

"Don't you two have somewhere to be?" Snape glared at them. He came in just before they were about to kiss. 

They stayed where they were. "Not really. Why, have a problem?" Harry replied. 

"We do have better things to do Harry." Draco said suggestively. "As much fun it is to torment Snape." 

"Well, we could just stay here and I could have my way with you." 

"But we did that last week." Draco whined. 

"Maybe we could make him faint quicker this time." Harry smiled slyly at Draco and pulled him closer. 

"Sadist." But that's part of what he loved about Harry. 

"Only when it comes to you, love." Harry proceeded to show him. 

"I'm still here." Snape had to stop this before it got any further. He was already a bright shade of red and he felt the blood rushing to his... face. 

"We don't really care." Draco then continued in kissing Harry senseless. 

Snape ran out of the Potions classroom. He had enough of them to last him a lifetime. And he needed a shower. 

"He fell for it." Draco pulled out of the kiss a little bit. 

"I wasn't kidding." He lightly bit Draco's earlobe. 

* * *

"Maybe we should take them to Madam Pomfrey." Hermione was really starting to get worried. They were looking at Ron. Him and his brothers were still unconscious. 

"Possibly." Harry said quietly. It wouldn't be good for them for the teachers to find out. All four of them had broken several rules. Breaking curfew was just one of them. 

"This isn't good, is it? We're really going to be in trouble." Hermione looked up at Harry. They had tried everything that they could think of to revive them once Harry had made it back. The rest of their house was at dinner. 

"No. It isn't. Feel like backing out now?" He looked down sadly at Hermione. She was sitting on Ron's bed while Harry was leaning to the post. 

"No. I've decided to break up with Ron." She looked a little embarrassed to be telling him this now, with said boyfriend lying unconscious right in front of her. 

"Really." He was a bit surprised that she had decided this soon. Her and Ron hadn't been going out for very long. 

"It isn't that I don't like him. I... just... he's just Ron. That isn't a bad thing. It's just that Ron won't ever change. I already know exactly what will happen if I stay with him. He'll grow up and join the ministry, I'll become a professor at Hogwarts, and we'll have a ton of kids. The end. I'm not saying that I won't be happy. I just want more." 

"Ron won't be happy." He looked at Hermione in sympathy. 

"I know. This doesn't make me a bad person, does it?" 

"No." Harry hugged her. We've simply out-grown him, Harry thought sadly. 

* * *

Chapter 3   
Chapter 5 


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter 5 

* * *

Draco 

A couple of people have began to notice   
that the Weaslys aren't coming to classes. Me and   
Hermione are going now to take them to Pomfrey.   
They haven't been seen for three days now. It will just   
be more trouble to wait longer. It's getting harder to   
convince the others not to bother them. Ginny, his   
sister, is convinced that something is wrong. 

With love,   
Harry 

* * *

They levitated them up to the ward as quickly as possible, in order to not be questioned by students coming in from lunch. Harry knocked on the door, then they waited a few minutes. 

"I'm coming!" Came a voice from the other side of the door. The door opened to reveal Madam Pomfrey. "My goodness! What happened here?" She exclaimed. "Never mind. Just get them on a bed. Then you can explain." 

"Can we come?" A voice came from behind them as Pomfrey started to lead them inside. 

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Zabini, What business do you have here." She questioned them. 

"We're with them." Blaise said simply, pointing. 

"Fine. Come along, then." She led the four of them into the infirmary and told them to seat themselves while she got the Weaslys on the beds. 

"Why are you here?" Harry asked from his spot beside Draco. 

"We couldn't just leave this to you two. We were there too." 

"My, how Gryffindor of you." Harry teased. 

"Shut up, Harry." 

Pomfrey turned back around from here task and was surprised to see Potter and Malfoy on one couch and Miss Granger and Zabini on the other. Potter and Malfoy even looked like they were actually having a civilized conversation. Oh well, there was time to think about that later. 

"Ok, now. What happened to them?" For a minute no one said anything. 

"It was a stunning charm." Harry was the first to speak up. 

"How long ago was it cast?" 

"Four days ago." Pomfrey was surprised at that. It was unheard of for that charm to last this long. 

"Who was it that cursed them?" None of them looked like they wanted to say anything to that question. "Come now. I can't help less my questions are answered. 

"We did." Hermione said quietly from her place besides Blaise. 

"As in..." She waited for them to say more. 

"All of us." 

"Talk about over-powering a spell." Pomfrey muttered, sounding exasperated. 

"We would rather you didn't ask anymore questions." This came from Draco, of course. 

"It's part of my job to ask questions, Mr. Malfoy. Whether you like it or not. It's also part of my job to not give away information given to me." 

"It's isn't medical related, Madam Pomfrey." Harry said. "It has nothing to do with them. We just want to know what's wrong with them." 

"Well, from what you say, which isn't very much, mind you, I think it's because more than one person cast the spell." She saw the blank looks on their faces and decided that it was best to elaborate. "Each of you have your own power, and it combined and became several times stronger. If I'm correct, they should wake by the end of the week." 

Harry and Hermione looked relieved that their friends would be ok. 

"They should stay here where I can watch them. I'll send an owl to you when they wake up." With that she made her way out of the room. 

"Well, that's a relief." Blaise said. 

"Yeah." This was from Draco. 

* * *

(a couple days later) 

"He's awake!" Harry said to Hermione once he saw her in the Gryffindor common room that morning. It's was Friday and the Weaslys had finally woke up. 

"Really!" Though she sounded excited mixed emotions went across her face. This meant she would have to tell him. She frowned for a second. "I just thought of something," she whispered. 

"What is it?" 

"What if they remember something!? We forgot to cast obliviate! Now it's too lat-" 

"Something like you two sneaking off to lie with the snakes of Slytherin?" Harry's head snapped around at the angered voice behind him to see Ron and his brothers standing behind him, much the way Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle used to. 

"Ron! You're awake!" Hermione ran over to him and wrapped her arms around an unresponsive body. She looked up in surprise to see him glaring at her. He then removed himself from Hermione's arms, rather roughly. Ron pushed her away, causing her to fall back to the floor. 

"Ron! What the hell is the meaning of this!?" Harry near-yelled at him. The others in their dorm were still sleeping. 

The five of them stood there is silence for second, trying to understand what was going on. Harry knew that something wasn't going right. 

"We followed you down to Slytherin last Friday." Fred spoke up first, his voice barely above a whisper. 

"But we were stopped. By you. I also think that Malfoy was there. And that other guy, Zabini." George glared at them as if he thought they were no better then him. "We saw your names on the map." 

"That isn't any of your business!" Harry glared back. 

"Not any of our business! It's not any of our business if you hang out with that prat Malfoy. And Merlin knows what else! Or what you could have been doing out there!" Ron accentually looked hurt for a moment. "You two used to tell me everything. Now I barely know you," he dead-paned. But a split second latter the anger had returned. "I'm beginning to think that you're no better then that faggot, Malfoy! For all I know you've gone and joined Voldemort by now." 

Harry had had enough of this. He could usually hold himself in check when dealing with Ron, but he had taken enough of this for one morning. He lunged at Ron and connected a fist with his face. He would have continued, but George and Fred grabbed him before he could. Ron picked himself up off of the floor. "Why don't you just go join Slytherin? You would fit in just fine there!" He spat. 

"Shut it, Ron!" Hermione quietly said to him. She looked like she wanted to hit him as well. 

"Wait, Hermione! I have something to say to him." He pushed the twins off him. "Relax. I'm not going to hit him again. He isn't worth the effort. I just have something to say." Harry's voice had turned soft and his eyes glittered, a secret held behind them wanting to be told. He even had a small smile on his face. /this is going to be greatly amusing.../ 

"Ron do you remember back in first year, during our sorting?" 

"Yeah, why." Ron was feeling a little uneasy at this change. He had seen Harry angry, but this was something knew. He was too calm, strangely so, like he was playing with him. Ron knew that he didn't want to hear this, though he knew that he didn't have a choice in the matter. 

"I wasn't supposed to be in Gryffindor." Harry mocked. A playful smile graced his face. (1) 

Ron looked puzzled over this. "What do you mean?" He was still mad, but he wanted to know what Harry was getting at. 

"I would be in Slytherin right now, if I hadn't begged not to. And guess what? The only reason why I even cared at the time was because of you!" Harry stopped a second to watch the almost scandalized look in Ron's eyes. His mood switched to resentment. "I wanted to be in Gryffindor because I thought you were my friend. Guess I was wrong." 

/Harry can't be a Slytherin./ That would make him a bit too much like Voldemort in Ron's mind. His life was already almost a parallel to Voldemort's, without this, and it was a little scary when he thought about it. And besides, Dumbledore had already said that he was a true Gryffindor. /Why would the heir of Gryffindor belong in Slytherin?/ 

Harry could practically see the wheels turning is Ron's head. Over and over, in a big circle, in the end getting him nowhere. 

"That's right, 'Ronny'. I can't believe that I actually cared that much about you're opinion. Every time something good happened that I've done on my own, you said it was just luck! You were supposed to be my friend! But, you had to always put me down, in your own ways. I've noticed! It's always been about you. You. You. YOU! Now, if it wasn't for Hermione I wouldn't even want to here. Slytherin seems so much more like home these days! In fact, I am confident that I should be a Slytherin! It doesn't seem like such a bad thing. And as for being your friend, I'm not sure if I even like you anymore." Harry's steam finally seems to run out after his little speech. Maybe that would satisfy Ron for a while. 

"Why, Harry? Why do this? We have been best friends for over five years, more or less, and you're going to through it all way. For nothing!?" 

"Because I want to. That's reason enough." Harry then backed away from Ron and went to the door. "Hermione, are you still coming with me?" 

"...Yes." She was still trying to process this knew information. She grabbed her robe, threw it on over her clothes and raced out the door after Harry. 

* * *

...what in hell's name are you doing...GET BACK THERE!!!

* * *

"I didn't know, Harry." She said as they made their way down the stairs. "You never told me that." /you could have trusted me, Harry/ 

"Not very many people do. Dumbledore advised me not to tell. Also, I always thought that my friends' opinions of me would change, although Ron's doesn't really matter that much to me anymore. Beside it's not really any of their business." He looked back at her to see if she was ok. She sent him back a small smile. "I'm going to sit with the guys today. I don't really feel like dealing with Ron and his stupidity." 

It got to her a little that Harry could speak ill so easily of Ron; he had wanted to be their friend. "I'll be over there in a little while. I want to speak to Ron real quick. I can't just leave things like that with him." 

/when is she going to realize Ron only befriended her because she was booksmart? I'm begining to think he only wanted to date her so he could could get her before me. Not that I would be interested in her that way.../ "Suit yourself," was all that Harry said right before they reached the Great Hall. They separated once they got in. 

The other occupants of the Great Hall went quiet as Harry made his way towards the Slytherin table. Even the Slytherins were a bit tense. There was a bit of an uproar among the Hufflepuff table when Malfoy told Crabbe and Goyle to make room for him. Blaise changed seats and Harry then sat in between him and Draco. 

"Well, what made you honour us with your presence this fine morning?" Draco teased. He found it a bit amusing watching the idiots around him making such a spectacle of themselves over something so small. 

"And amusing the rest of the hall with such a vulgar and deviant display. Honestly, a Gryffindor sitting with slytherins; it's just not done." Blaise added wryly. 

"Well, since you asked. You'll be pleased to note that Ron and I are no longer friends." He said lightly. 

"Yes, I am. I told you that he was below you and only wanted to use you, and I meant it," Draco sighed rolling his eyes heavenwards. 

"As much as I would like to say 'I'm sorry' over your loss of a friendship... I can't bring myself to as it involved Weasly." Blaise looked a bit more sombre that Draco did. "Is Hermione going to come over, also?" He glanced over at the Gryffindor table and saw that she seemed to be waiting. 

"Possibly. She wanted to talk to Ron." With this Ron and his brothers made there ways to their table. Draco was pleased to note that Ron seemed to have a darkening bruise on the side of his face. 

* * *

Hermione looked up from her plate when she heard Ron sit down. He had chosen a spot at the other end of the table, as far away from her as he could get. Hermione left her plate as she got up and walked over to him. 

"Go away!" Ron hissed through his teeth. He looked at her as if she were something vile. Like she was lower than the dirt under his shoes. At that moment Hermione forgot about what she ever saw in Ronald Weasly. He simply no longer mattered. 

"I just wanted to say that we are through, Ron." Hermione understood that he was upset, but she could never be friends with someone who hurt someone that she cared about. Ron may have once been one of her best friends and then her bestfriend... but Harry was her brother. As she started to walk away from table another stir went through the other houses. 

"I don't care if you whore yourself over there!" Ron yelled after her when he saw that she was really leaving. "You're probably sleeping with them all. After all, that's all you ever were! A whor-" 

Hermione slapped him hard across the face before he got then chance to finish, the same cheek that had been bruised earlier. "Never speak to me that way again." Her eyes watered as walked to the Slytherin table, where Blaise Zabini drew her into his arms. 

He watched the jealousy that flitted across Ron's face before it was gone. Blaise simply stared him down until he looked away and held Hermione tighter. 

* * *

Ever since that day Hermione and Harry sat at the Slytherin table. Ron would no longer speak to either Harry or Hermione, and neither would they speak to him. They were even considered traitors of their house by some for consorting with the likes of Slytherin. Though they were unexpectedly accepted among most of the Slytherins. 

...but, perhaps in Slytherin, you meet your true friends... 

-,---, -,---, -,---, -,---,   
there's a green hill far away   
in a land I know so well   
and the sun it shone so bright   
in the fields where once we did lay 

as we walked that winding road   
I remember oh so well   
the times we spent together   
in the fields where once we did lay 

how we laughed and carved our names   
and declared our love forever   
on that old oak tree we found   
in the fields where once we did lay 

there's a green hill far away   
in a land I know so well   
and the sun it shone so bright   
in the fields where once we did lay   
-BWitched   
-,---, -,---, -,---, -,---, 

* * *

(saturday) 

"I have an idea." Draco said on night at dinner. He finally quit pestering Harry to eat more, when an idea occurred to him. It had been about a month since the blow up between the Gryffindor Trio. Most people had begun to get used to seeing Hermione and Harry there. Most of the Slytherins had been rather silent about the whole scandal, though some were silently approving. The one didn't, mostly kept quiet as well. 

"What is it?" Hermione inquired, from her seat beside Blaise. It was now publicly known that she and Blaise were going out. 

"Let's go downstairs. Then I'll talk." 

They left the Slytherin table, oblivious to the curious watching from the Headmaster. 

* * *

"Ok. What is it?" Harry said from Draco's lap. He had sat himself there immediately upon getting to the Slytherin common room. Draco loved when Harry was affectionate. If only they could do this in public... He was half tempted to just say the hell with everyone else, but then there would be Dumbledore to deal with. Draco held him tighter and Harry snuggled further into his firm embrace. 

"I've been thinking for a while." 

"I thought we talked about that." Harry loved to tease him, he couldn't help it. He received little pinch for his efforts, causing him to squirm a little bit. 

"Harry, this is important. Now listen. As I said, I've been thinking... we seem to be a lot stronger when we all work together." 

"I wouldn't have guessed that. Thank you for being so kind to have told me." Harry replied, sarcastically. 

"I think you had something new to say." Blaise said. 

Draco glowered at the two. "As I was trying to say, if you would let me continue, I was sent a letter recently, from my father. It was about Voldemort." An oppressive air covered the room. "He's planning something. Something big." 

"So he's finally decided to start the war." Harry said quietly. 

"Yeah. But, I don't think much of a fight will be put up. It won't matter if we tell Dumbledore, Fudge, or even if we stood before the entire ministry. They won't do anything but sit on their asses and plan. By the time they get around to doing anything it will be too late." 

There was a silent agreement between them. They had all seen evidence of that. "Fudge and the ministry will ignore anything and act like nothing's wrong. And Dumbledore will do a lot of talking and use everybody, without doing a single damned thing." 

"We know this already." Hermione injected. "What does this have to do with us?" 

Draco glared slightly at her. "It's well known that Harry is one of the strongest wizards in the world. And the rest of us aren't exactly among the weaker half. I think we could do something." 

"We would more than likely get ourselves killed or worse, Draco." Hermione said. 

"I think we have a chance. And he must not be as strong as we think he is if he wants Harry dead so badly. Besides, Dumbledore would have had him fight Voldemort anyway. Why not give him a fighting chance." He squeezed the boy in his lap tighter. /Harry will be alive at the end of this, I swear it.../ 

"Sure, this sound like a good idea now, but how would we win?" Blaise said sceptically. "I don't think that the stunning curse would do much against Voldemort. He's a bit stronger than the Weasly's, don't you think," He grinned. 

"I know. That's part of why I waited before I spoke to you about this. If we do this... we're going to have to learn more than what this school is willing to teach us." 

"Dark magic." Hermione suddenly caught on to what Draco not saying. But he couldn't be serious about this! He was talking about using dark magic on someone. Never mind, that this was Voldemort. Or maybe that's what the point was. 

"Possibly. The way I figure it, it's time for us to do things our own way. No one else is doing anything! If it takes dark magic, then so be it. We could also learn some of the stronger white magic spells, for that matter." 

"I'll do it, Draco." Harry said. /there's not much left for me to loose.../ Harry wanted this fight with Voldemort to be over. 

"Harry, let's think about this some more." Hermione pleaded. "This is serious!" 

"I know, and I don't care Hermione. I want the war over. But why is it dark magic, really?" Harry stared right into Hermione's eyes. 

"I never really thought about it." She admitted. 

"I think it's referred to as 'dark' because it contains the stronger spells. People are afraid of the power in them. That's why most people who are strong enough to perform these spell and do are charged as dark wizards and witches. Even if they have good intentions." Blaise went quiet after this. His parents had been sentenced to Azkaban because they had been suspected of useing forbidden magic. 

Though he had been told that his parents hadn't joined Voldemort, they were not strangers to the Dark Arts. They had planned to over throw the Dark Lord, but the ministry received an unsigned letter about their use of the dark arts and they were thrown in Azkaban when he was still little. He still suspected that the letter had been from one of Voldemort's deatheaters, or maybe even 'Voldie' himself. 

"I guess you have a point. But what if the same thing happens to us?" 

"What's more important to you, finishing off Voldemort, or your reputation?" Blaise asked her. 

She sighed. "Fine." 

"So, are we are all agreed." Draco asked. He leaned back on the couch. 

"I'd say so." Harry replied. He cuddled back into Draco's side. 

"Why do you what to do this anyway, dragon?" Harry asked. 

"Because I was going to tell you about the letter anyway, and I knew that you wouldn't be able to leave things at just knowing what was going to happen. Besides, I plan on living, and I have even less of a chance of that on Voldemort's side." He had already turned Voldemort down several times. Draco was surprised that The Dark Lord hadn't killed him yet. 

"Draco," Blaise started, "how much time do we have anyway." 

"'Till the end of the year. He told me to be ready for my initiation by then." Draco couldn't stand the thought of becoming a Death Eater. "I guess we can master some of the more useful things taught here, and work our way up." 

"What do you suggest?" Hermione asked. 

"The basics, the 'white magic', 'then we'll work on the harder things. It'll require a ton of work and study from all of us." 

"Well, that's my field of expertise." She gave a small smile. "What should we do first?" 

"The ever popular choice of becoming animagi. For most people this takes at least two months up to a year. I think if we work hard enough we'll secede in doing it sooner." 

* * *

Chapter 4   
Chapter 6 


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter 6 

* * *

AN: I blame this chapter on too much animorphs (i've read just about all 50! don't get put off by the fact that it says childrens series. and the books are much much much better than the tv show. the tv show was bad...) 

It was after about three weeks of study that they felt ready to attempt to change form for the first time. 

"Ok, Blaise. Are you ready?" They were lounging around in an empty classroom they had found that could be used for their studies. It's amazing how many rooms there were in this place. Many rooms hadn't even been seen since the day they were built. 

Blaise had to strip down to as little clothing as possible. Otherwise it might be shredded, if the form he took is larger his. "As ready as I'll ever be." He concentrated on taking a different form, once he got over being in his underwear in front of three other people. They hadn't figured out the clothing thing yet. Harry had to owl Lupin on the matter, in case any of the other marauders had known before they died. It was supposed to be difficult for everybody on they're first time around. You never knew for sure what animal you would become, so you never had a shape to will yourself into. 

The changes were subtle at first. His pupils thinned, though his eyes stayed their bright blue color. The joints in his legs then reversed and his black hair spread to cover his entire body. The whole process looked rather uncomfortable, though luckily they happened quickly. Then he grew a tail and his ears changed. Left in his place was a panther, almost smiling at them. In a feline sort of way. Harry thought it suited him. He then made himself change back after he jogged around the room for a couple of minutes, chasing the others. 

He laughed for a second, after they settled back down. "Well, that was fun! We just have to learn that clothing spell," he said cheerfully once he was back to normal. After he dressed himself, the others to their turns. Draco became a beautiful Siberian tiger, with white stripes and silver eyes. Harry was, surprisingly enough, sleek black cobra, with bright green eyes. It seemed like for a second the Slytherin had taken the Gryffindors place, as the felines of the group, and Harry had switched places with them, by becoming the snake. Lastly, was Hermione, who became a wolf, with thick golden brown fur, the color of her own hair, and the same chocolate brown eyes. It was safe to say that they were all satisfied with their shapes. It would have the worst to become one of the lowest of creatures, like say a rat. But luckily a rat, or any other creature, didn't fit their personalities. 

They each practiced changing shape a couple more times, occasionally more chasing around the room, before they separated. Harry usually hid for one of the others to find him. Or rather Hermione and Blaise went back to they're dorm rooms and Harry and Draco made the most of each other. They didn't have the luxury of being able to be together in public, unlike Hermione and Blaise. The had to make the best with the stolen moments they could find. 

* * *

The next morning Ron woke up with fear in his eyes. He found a black snake curled tightly around his neck. It had been its tongue, flicking across his skin, that had woke him up. He let out a scream as it began to squeeze tighter around his neck. His shriek woke up some of the others, who came to see was wrong with him. Besides the usual. 

"Ron, what the bloody hell is wrong with you! Waking us up at five in the fucking morning." Fred was the first to get to him. He had to shake his brother to get him to calm down enough to speak. 

"There was a s-s-snake... a-around my neck!" he stuttered out. Ron grabbed at his neck to find nothing there. His eyes were the size of saucers, as he frantically threw the covers off the bed. The snake was gone. 

"Ron, you need some serious help." This came from Seamus, who was still rubbing his eyes. 

After the others made it back to sleep, Ron heard a quiet laughing coming from Harry's bed beside him. He got out of bed and threw open the curtains around Harry's bed. 

"You!" He glared at him. 

"Yes, I know who I am." He smirked back. 

"You put that snake in my bed! Didn't you!" 

"What snake? I haven't seen any snakes." He looked back at Ron innocently. He was having a hard time trying to not burst out laughing again. 

"We'll see." Ron closed the curtains and backed his way to his own bed. He couldn't believe what had gotten into his ex-friends lately. Well, he didn't care about them anymore. Besides, he didn't have any proof that Harry had even done anything. 

"Yes, we'll see." He heard whispered from Harry's bed. 

/I hate you!/ 

* * *

"Harry! What was all that commotion that I heard coming from the boys dorm this morning. The screaming was so loud it even woke us!" Hermione asked him in the Gryffindor common room later on that morning. 

"I decided to play a little trick on Ron." He had a sly grin on his face. 

"You didn't!" She gasped. 

"I did! You should have seen the look on his face. I only wish Collin had gotten his camera so I could have a picture to show you." He started laughing. 

"Wish I could have been there!" She still hadn't forgiven Ron for the way that he had treated them. 

"Glad to see you two Slytherins are enjoying yourselves at my expense!" Ron had come down from the dorms. 

"Thank you for the compliment, Benedict." Hermione smiled gleefully. 

Ron just glared at them, as usual, and made his way back to the Gryffindor table. 

"So, are you staying here for Christmas break?" 

"Yeah, I've owled my parents about it, they're fine with it. Although they were sorry about my breakup with Ron." 

"Good. Draco told his father that he wanted to stay here so that he could torture me without any witnesses." Harry rolled his eyes. "His father doesn't care what he does as long as he makes me miserable." 

"What does his mother think?" 

"She's worse than he is. She convinced Lucius to join Voldemort." 

"Oh." Hermione's eyes grew, before she composed herself again. "Is Blaise staying?" She inquired. 

"Of course." 

* * *

"I think we're ready." Hermione said one day as they were lounging around listening to Draco's Massive Attack Cd. 

They had finished they're animagi training after a month, changing clothes and body. The had even actually found the time to pay attention in they're actual classes. While Hermione was still at the top of their class as always, Draco now had the highest grades in Slytherin. Blaise and Harry weren't doing so badly either. Harry actually had a decent grade in potions. 

"This is a big step. The "Unforgivables" could get us sent to Azkaban if the ministry finds out." Harry replied. He was currently by Draco's side as usual. 

Draco's had his arm wrapped around Harry's slender form. It was actually sort of sweet watching them. Maybe one day they would be able to be out in the open. Without people just seeing them as The-Boy-Who-Lived and The-Son-of-Lucius-Malfoy. Just think of the Horror that that would cause if people found out that the two were lovers. 

"They won't. We're smart enough to not get caught." Draco had owled his father, requesting the books that they needed. He hadn't asked any questions. "I brought the books I was talking about. They range on every aspect of dark curses." He reached down beside the sofa and pulled up a couple of thick volumes. He saw the questioning looks from the people around him. "My father." 

"Will Dumbledore be able to tell what we're doing in here?" Blaise asked. 

"Not if we watch out for Filch and Peeves. There aren't any portraits on this corridor so we won't have to worry about that. Also, the house elves won't tell." Hermione answered. 

"Great. The only problem left is that we'll have to practice on each other." Harry got from the couch with his wand in hand. "Will you be ok, Hermione?" 

"If you guys can do this, than I can." She had a determined look on her face as she drew herself up from the couch and pointed her wand at Harry. 

* * *

A dark figure pulled himself away from the sight before him. He raised the hood of his cloak and made his way down the hallway, unseen. 

* * *

(two weeks later...) 

"IMPERIO!" 

Harry steeled himself against Draco's attack. He felt a tiny suggestion in the back of his mind, telling him to drop his wand. He resisted for all of about ten minute's before he gave into exhaustion. 

He and Draco had been at it for a little more than an hour. Hermione and Blaise were working on the other side of the room. 

The first few times any of them had tried the curse, unsurprisingly enough, nothing happened. It took the first week before they had gotten this far. Although, while Hermione could only hold of the curse for a couple of minutes, Harry, at best, could throw it off completely half the time. But, not all the time. Unfortunatly, they also found that Draco was helpless against the imperious; his mind could be captured by it with very little effort.... 

* * *

Hermione let herself be pulled by Harry to Defence class. Though it a bit of irony that it was Harry who was forcing her to get to class, she let him tug her through the halls without saying a word. 

They had been working late last night and she was exhausted. It annoyed her a little to see Harry in perfect working order, and she glared at him hatefully as he pulled her arms through her robes, to get her in uniform, as they got to class. She had been about to claim sick (surprise, surprise) when Harry dragged her out of bed, telling her that they were about to be late for their first class. She had barely left him enough time to get himself dressed. He just grabbed his things and drug her out with them. 

They made it just before the teacher, Professor McEuan, started the lesson. 

"I so glad that you could take time out of your busy schedule to make it to my class on time. You will be happy to know that you aren't the last ones." He seemed a bit amused. 

As if on queue, Neville squeezed through the door, trying not to be noticed. He straightened and blushed when he felt all the eyes in the room on him. 

"Everyone take your seats." He clapped once before making his way to the front of the room. "Today we will be learning new ways to disarm an opponent." He picked up a dark jar off a shelf in the corner of the room. "I have written down different curses and hexes on each piece of parchment. I would like for you to pick two out and one will be the one that you will be using. The other is who you will be partnered up with. Once you have been successful in winning the dual come to me and come get another. Anybody, just come to me if you need help." The whole class knew that this last part was indirectly directed as Neville. Hermione had almost fallen asleep again. 

When the jar came around to her and Harry, she looked at her pieces of paper. Hannah Abbot. "Who did you get?" She peaked over at Harry's, before yawning. 

"Justin." 

"Good for you." She yawned again when she was finished. 

"Are you ok?" He was a bit worried about her. He wasn't anywhere near as tired as she was. 

"Yeah. Last night just took a lot out of me." 

"I can tell. Do you think you can make it through your classes today?" 

"Yes. Though I was planning on sleeping in, no thanks to you." She started to glare at him again, but she had to stifle another yawn. "Now I might as well go to class now that I'm awake." 

Hermione didn't look that awake. Her eyelids looked like they were about to drop any second. 

"Class! Get with your partners and begin." McEuan moved to the side to observe the students. 

"Why did I have to get stuck with you!?" Hannah stared distastefully at Hermione. Most of the Hufflepuffs had taken the Gryffindors side. "A bitch who doesn't know when she's got it good! You should have treated Ron better and not have chosen that Slytherin slut over him!" 

"Just lucky I guess..." Hermione just smiled softly. She started to yawn again when Hannah threw a curse at her. She dodged it, but it almost got her. Hermione returned the attack and Hannah threw herself down on the floor. It grazed the air just above her head. Hermione couldn't help but rub her eyes, to rid herself of the sleep. She felt something touch her side, then someone in the room screamed. Hermione's eyes flew open and she Hannah lying on the floor, about to hyperventilate. Her eyes were wide with fear as she looked in between Hermione and the wall across from her. 

There was a gaping hole in it and they could see through to the storage room, on the other side. 

"YOU TRIED TO KILL ME!!!" Hannah seemed stuck in place for a second then she tried to charge Hermione into the floor. A white-hot electric shock went trough Hannah's body the second she touch Hermione. It was as if someone had set fire to her body. She backed away on the floor and tried to run out of the room as fast a she could. She fell flat to the ground before she made it. Hannah's body would jerk every few seconds, her eyes stared dead ahead. 

Another student tried to get close, but he was stopped by Professor McEuan. "Nobody touch her! Bones! Go get Madam Pomfrey." The girl ran out before he finished the sentence. 

Harry ignored the teacher's warning and strode closer Hermione, who was frozen shock; all thoughts of sleep had vanished. 

"Harry! Don't touch me!" She was frightened for both herself and her friend as she stood stalk still. 

"Don't worry about me! Worry about yourself." He grabbed her arm. Nothing happened. 

The professor saw this and made to pull her out of the room, but he was hit as well. They watched as he lay unconscious on the floor before Harry grabbed her hand and they walked out the room, with Hermione near tears. 

The other students in the room scurried away, as soon as they got close. No one made a move to help the twitching professor. 

* * *

Hermione lay shaking on the couch, while Harry sent an owl to get Blaise and Draco out of class. A professor would be on their way soon enough, to figure out what had happened. 

He had felt what had happened to her. The power that was coming through. She was starting to feel some of what he felt all the time, only slightly different. But why had it happened now and what was the cause. Usually only pureblood wizards and witches came into this type of power, but that usually happened in their mid-twenties, and Hermione was muggle-born. 

After he finished sending the letters he cuddled with her on the couch, trying to give her some comfort. He could still feel the power in her. It was just beneath the surface, ready to be tapped. It was intoxicating as he tried to feel it. It was trying to break free, but Hermione was controlling it, just barely. 

It was starting to ebb when there was a knock at the door. Harry barely heard it before the door opened. Blaise came in first, closely followed by Draco; they looked a bit out of breath. Harry got up and Blaise immediately took his place. Nothing happened when he touched her either, except a small spark. 

"What happened to her?" Draco asked. His voice was kept even and his eyes were cool as usual, though his hands were shacking. He had felt a power as soon as they got close to the room. What could have been the cause? When he had gotten in the room he stopped dead in his tracks when he finally figured out where the power was coming from. He had NEVER felt a muggle-born as strong as this. Hermione was glowing, though he was one of the few to see it. It was a bright blue colour, though it was quickly beginning to dim. 

Harry just shook his head and gripped his hand. "I don't know. We were in duelling class when her power lashed out. We left a student and the professor on the floor unconscious. I just don't know what could have happened." Harry looked as he was going to start crying, when Draco pulled his lover towards the couch, where they all sat. Blaise comforting Hermione and Draco comforting Harry. 

The door burst open with a loud crack and they looked up to see Snape and McGonagall. There was a crowd of students in the doorway behind them. Ron was among them. 

He, at first, looked shocked when he saw Harry with his arms around Malfoy, then he directed his eyes towards Hermione. He looked concerned for her for a second, but then he noticed Blaise beside her, comforting her. She had betrayed him. He eyes darkened and he backed out of the common room, almost running. 

* * *

/So the truth comes out! I bet that he was a fucking faggot all along. (AN: author cringes) All those times he slipped into my bed... I bet that he was just trying to cop a feel. I can't believe that I didn't see this coming sooner!!! Well, he will get what's coming to him... And Hermione! I can't believe that she was dumb enough to go along with this. I thought she knew better!!/ 

Ron was so angry that he didn't notice that he had pushed a passing first year down the flight stairs beside him. He was shocked as he gazed down at the prone body on the floor. There was a small pool of blood leaking around his face. 

Ron felt nauseous as he at the body. It wasn't him! He streaked in the opposite direction, in a mad panic. 

* * *

Draco held Hermione's hand as she lay in the hospital wing. Harry and Blaise were asleep on the couch. 

"How are you doing, Granger?" Draco asked her. 

"Draco, you know that you can use my name," she said tiredly. She was still exhausted bit wasn't allowed to sleep until they found out what was wrong. There were a couple on professors in the other beds around the room. They had all had been put there by her. In the end Blaise had carried her up, since no one but him, Draco, and Harry could touch her. 

Madam Pomfrey came in to check on her. Once Poppy had put on gloves nothing happened when she touch her, except a few stray sparks. 

"I'm afraid, I don't know what's wrong, my dear." Poppy pulled of the gloves and looked at her. She was sorry that she wasn't able to help. "I don't know if you will ever be able to touch anyone again, Miss Granger. You will most likely have to cover your skin with something for the rest of your life. Otherwise, someone else might be hurt. I'm sorry, Hermione." She went to check on the others, who were still unconscious. 

Hermione put her head in the covers. How was she supposed to deal with this?! She wouldn't be able to touch another human being, with the exception of Blaise, Harry, and Draco, without hurting them. 

"You'll be fine, Hermione." He would make sure of that. Blaise and Harry wouldn't let her down for a second. 

"I hope so." 

* * *

(A few days later) 

It was Hermione's first day back to class. Pomfrey told her that she could go back to her classes, as long as she was careful not to touch anyone. Draco had decided to help out and had ordered her a pair of designer gloves. They were made of a soft dark blue silk, and went up to her elbows. They were an absolutely beautiful gift, though sad, that she needed them. It was a strange feeling against her skin. She had never had to wear gloves this long. Luckily, she could take them off whenever no one else was in the room, also when she was just with the others. 

Blaise was one side of her, Harry and Draco on the other. The entire hall went quiet when they entered. A couple of the Hufflepuffs hid behind each other, shaking with fear. 

"-it's back-" 

"-kill us-" 

"-why did they let her back-" 

"-should have been expelled-" 

She listened to the various whispers around the room. These were the people who used to be her friends. She felt tears stinging her eyes, when her friends led her to the Slytherin table. Several of them moved away, though some stay seated. She saw another sixth year Slytherin smiling at her. She was so surprised that she didn't feel herself smile back. She nodded her head and took a seat. 

Professor Dumbledore rose and held up a hand to gain everyone's attention. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen, yes, Miss Granger has been allowed back to class. I implore you to make her as comfortable as possible, fore it has not been easy for her. You may resume your meal." With that he sat and the talking started. A few people would glance in Hermione's direction from time to time, though no one had the nerve to say anything aloud, now. Though, there was one person missing from the Gryffindor table. 

* * *

Chapter 5   
Chapter 7 


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter 7 

* * *

"Do you think you can continue, Hermione?" Harry asked Hermione as she pulled off the gloves. 

"I think so." She replied. She was glad that her skin finally had a chance to breathe. 

"Are you sure... We haven't done anything since..." 

"I'm sure Harry. Besides, we need to find out what the cause is." 

* * *

It was only a week later when it happened. 

It was time for them to make an appearance at the great hall for dinner. While none of them usually came to any of the other meals, due to "studying", this was the meal that they had to come to regularly, unless they wanted to appear suspicious. As usual, Draco and Blaise sat at the other end of the table, eating quietly. Hermione and Harry sat in between them. They were in a quiet conversation, when the rest of the table went quiet. All this was interrupted by Dumbledore, who stood to get their attention, once he was done eating. 

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy, and Mr. Zabini, kindly show yourselves to my office when you are done. I will await your arrival." He said nothing more, which was strange for the headmaster. He then swept out of the great hall, not noticing the significant looks going between said four. They got up as soon as they were finished, and made their way down the hall to the gargoyle statue. Was this about Hermione? Or was it about... 

"What do you think he wants? Do you think it's possible he knows?" Hermione clutched Blaise's hand as they went. 

Draco face betrayed nothing of his emotions as he talked, although he too had Harry's hand clutched to his side. "Possibly. Harry, what's the password?" 

"How should I know?" Even Harry and Blaise were a little tense, to say the least. They hadn't expected this. 

The gargoyle jumped aside without warning. They stared for a second at it uncertainly before going up the spiral staircase. The door to the office opened before them. Dumbledore was on the other side waiting for them. He had a stern look on his face, so different for his usual good humour. "Please take a seat." He waited a second for them to comply. "Now, do you know why you are here?" 

"No, professor." Harry said softly. He pulled Draco's hand closer, from where they were hidden within the folds of their cloaks. 

"It has come to my attention that all four of you have been experimenting with some of the darker arts. I must say, if this is true, then I am very disappointed in all of you. Especially you, Harry. You should have known better. And you Hermione." He sighed and leaned back in his overstuffed chair. 

"What! And you expected this out of me and Blaise!" Draco's eyes narrowed. 

"Mr. Malfoy, calm yourself!" Dumbledore glared at the boy. 

"Why should I!" Harry pulled Draco down and tried to placate him, not noticing the look that Dumbledore was giving them. 

"Harry, I thank you." 

"I wasn't calming him to help you." Harry replied piercingly, angry on his lover's behalf. The headmaster flinched, almost shocked. He was unaccustomed to dealing with this Harry. He was usually very agreeable when it came to the him. 

"Harry. What has happened to you? You used to be so much like a son to me. Then you turn things around and do something like this. Tell me, was it Mr. Malfoy, who convinced you to do this? Pulled you into his trap. As much as I don't want to believe anything so... deranged concerning any of my students." Dumbledore knew very well how the Malfoy boy was raised. It wouldn't surprise him much if he was the one corrupting his other students. Harry Potter was his! "Did he seduce you? Make you think his way was right. A curse?" 

"No! All of us did this by our own choice." Harry glared at his professor. How dare he make such accusations towards the one he loved! He suddenly felt a strange animosity towards the old man. Something he never felt before. 

"Well, if that is the case. I am sorry to say that you; Mr. Zabini, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, and Miss Granger, are hereby expelled. Harry, I am deeply sorry. I mistook you, for who you are." 

Harry just stared at the headmaster. What in hell was he talking about? 

"I won't be telling the ministry about this, if you stop. That is all, you may leave now." Thunder shook the room, as if the gods themselves were moved by his action. (Hermione's eyes began to water as the realization sunk. Harry gave Dumbledore a look of cold loathing, as they stood and left everything behind. Dumbledore himself even looked slightly sorry, but the decision had been made. Now they had to face the consequences of crossing him. Even if he couldn't bring himself to alert the ministry, this had to be done. 

* * *

Other eyes were watching them as they took they're leave. 

"I will never forgive you, Harry Potter. Good bye, though not forever. I'm not done with you." 

* * *

Draco sighed as they made their way to the gate, belongings in hand. Dumbledore had given them a few minutes to clear their things out. "We knew that this might happen. It could have been worse. He could have snapped our wands, or sent us to Azkaban." 

"You sure are taking things well, considering that we were just expelled." 

"Well, the way I see it, we really don't need them. We've proven that we can learn these things by ourselves." 

"Yeah, I guess so." Blaise replied. These were the first words that the quiet boy had said, since they left. 

"Personally, I just think Dumbldore needs to get laid..." 

Everyone just stared at him. 

"What!" Draco says, incredulously. 

Harry came out of the stupor first. "Draco! That has to be one of the crudest things that I have ever heard you say. Besides what does that have to do with anything!?" 

"I don't know. It just sounded neat." 

"Draco, shut up." Much to his horror his lover started to pout. 

Hermione ignored the whole exchange. "But still, I will miss our friends. Even Ron, maybe. I mean after being around him for these last years." 

They stopped at the gate and waited. The gates opened with a squealing groan. They than gave one last look at the sanctuary and then left. Maybe they would never return. 

-,---, -,---, -,---, -,---,   
and every morning comes too soon   
all your nights are sleepless 

poison arrows   
to ruin your tomorrows 

and all i know   
is guilt for being different 

it's always raining stones   
there's a killer in the home   
in a small town   
everybody looks the same 

there are unwritten rules   
unspoken words   
should I pack my fear and go? 

I have to leave somehow   
before they run me out of town   
I have to leave somehow   
-Chumbawumba   
-,---, -,---, -,---, -,---, 

* * *

"Where are we going to stay?" Draco asked Harry. 

They had rented a couple of rooms in Hogsmeade while they came to a decision on where they were to stay. They wouldn't be able to stay long, because they knew that it wouldn't be long before someone found out that they had been expelled, and Draco's and Hermione's parents would come looking for them. They couldn't stay at the Malfoy's, for obvious reasons, and they couldn't stay with the Zabini's, because the Malfoy's might look there once they heard that he had been expelled as well. And Hermione didn't want to involve her parents. She also didn't want to break it to them that she had been kicked out of Hogwarts and see the shamed looks on their faces. As for Harry, the Dursley's didn't really care what happened to him. They would probably jump for joy if he were to die. 

But then again, the location could be useful. The deatheaters still hadn't managed to locate the small house on Privet drive. 

"I was thinking." He rolled over and placed his chin on Draco's chest, so that he could see his eyes. 

"New concept for you, isn't it?" Draco teased. 

"Shut up. I was thinking about Privet drive." 

"Harry, I thought we discussed this. You are not going back there." He pulled Harry closer. He always got a bit more protective whenever the Dursley's came up. And with reason. 

* * *

Over that summer the Dursley's decided to make Harry's life more of a living hell than usual. It started from the moment he got "home". They fed him even less than usual, at Vernon's insistence that both the boys should be on "the Diet". Their "precious Dudley" would take any chance he got to swipe his portion. He was lucky sometimes if he managed to keep more than a piece of toast a day, though his aunt would occasionally catch Dudley and tell him to put it back. Thank Merlin for small miracles; his aunt actually had a heart. 

Once Harry had gotten back to school Draco had noticed the difference in Harry's weight. He weighed only about 41 kilograms (about 90.2). Hermione never noticed his weight change because his baggy clothes always covered him up. 

Draco had made sure Harry ate all of his meals when him and Hermione had started sitting with them. He still only weighed 46 at most (about 101.2). Draco swore that he wouldn't let Harry go back to that. He simply deserved better than they treated him. 

He was amazed that Harry had turned out as well as he had, after living with the Dursley's all this time. Harry was to this day the sweetest person he had ever met. Even if he did have a slight evil streak. 

Even when he was harsh, and he did his worse, Harry would keep coming back to him. One day he had come up him and insisted that they become friends. He still didn't know what made Harry do it. He had rejected him, of course. But Harry kept trying until he finally gave in. But not after Draco finally went too far one day and Harry began to avoid him. He even didn't come to the classes that they had together. 

But then Draco began to miss him. He missed Harry following him around, trying to get him to talk, sitting by him when no-one else was around. He finally cracked and went to find Harry one night, to speak with him. After a brief argument everything came together. And it eventually led to a strong relationship. 

Since then Harry told him many things about him that nobody else knew. He even filled Draco in on Snape. Draco never figured that Harry would ever have trusted him enough to tell him that. He also told him about how the Dursley's treated him. Eventually Draco became very protective of the smaller boy. 

* * *

"It's all I can think of. Besides, I doubt that they would bother me with you guys there. You would protect me." He snuggled closer the warm body beside him. He knew that Draco would always be there for him. 

"I'll think about it. No promises though." 

"That's fine. I'm not exactly overjoyed about the thought of going back to the Dursley's, you know. Even if they did kick me out. Nox totalus." With that the lights went out and sleep followed. 

* * *

Vernon Dursley heard a knock at the door. He looked questioningly at the door for a second. He wasn't expecting anyone that day. He folded the newspaper and got up to open the door. He regretted it the second he saw who was on the other side. 

"What are you doing back here!? You're supposed to be at that freak show school of yours! And just who is this that you brought back with you?" 

As fun as it was to watch his uncle turn the different colours of the rainbow, he knew that he would have to answer soon. 

"We were expelled and we need a place to stay, Uncle. Before you say anything, do you want to be responsible for four dead bodies, because that's exactly what will have on your hands if you don't let us come in." 

"I am not going to let you and that little fag stay here! Let me guess, you keep the other two on the side to satisfy your pleasures." He was unprepared when a curse shot out of Harry's wand, knocking him flat on his back. (The ministry had didn't bother watching the house while school was in. After all, what reason was there to bother if Harry was at the school?) 

Harry leaned over his uncle, who had no choice but to listen now. "I tried to be nice and ask. But I will not sit by and listen while you insult my boyfriend and my friends. You have no say in how I live my life, and you never will." He grabbed Draco's hand and led him upstairs. Hermione and Blaise followed behind, stepping around the prone body without glancing at it. He listened for a second at the top of the stairs to see if he heard his aunt, but she apparently wasn't home. They all settled in his room once they got to the door. Harry immediately flopped down on the bed. 

Hermione looked around for a second and took in the room. She had never seen it before. Harry had been right, it was tiny. The room was barely big enough to accommodate only him, much less the four of them. 

* * *

"Ok, what do we do now?" Blaise asked, distracted. He still had a hard time trying to grasp what that fat elephant of a man had said about him. The man had been lucky that Harry had gotten to him first. 

"I think we should lay low for a while." Hermione said. "We don't really need to draw any attention to ourselves right now." 

"I agree." Draco had sat down on the lumpy mattress beside Harry, and started to rub his back. 

There was a quiet knock on the door and it opened a crack to reveal a tall woman on the other side. She looked around at them for a second. She must have been Harry's aunt. Petunia rested her eyes on Draco for a second, noting the hand that was still on Harry's back. She could figure it out for herself. Petunia nodded to him before speaking. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, if anyone wants something to eat." 

"Thanks, Aunt Petunia." Harry mumbled, face down on the bed. He moaned for a second, then got up. He hadn't wanted Draco to stop. "I guess we go eat." 

"I'll see to that that." Draco grabbed his hand and pulled him up. They then walked out the door. 

"What was that about?" Hermione asked Blaise as she watched them leave the room. 

He just shrugged and they followed them down. 

Harry and Draco had already sat themselves at the table at the table and were waiting for them. Harry got up and found an extra chair for one of them to sit in. 

"Vernon left about an hour ago, Harry. You don't have to worry." Petunia smiled at him from inside the kitchen. 

Petunia had done her best for Harry over the summer. She had snuck him extra food now and then, over the summer. She knew she couldn't stop Dudley stealing Harry's meals, to make up for his own smaller portions, all the time. Since Harry never complained about it, she mostly didn't know how much he wasn't getting. Petunia did try to help, when she could. Small things, really. But better than nothing. 

She brought plates loaded with food to them table and asked for Harry's help. He got up to help her carry the plates to the table. 

"Harry... I'm sorry for this summer." She said as soon as they out of hearing range of the others. "I'm sorry for everything." He could see it on her face that she was really sorry. 

"I know." Harry said just as quietly. He took some of the plates to the people waiting at the table. They sat down just in time to see Hermione talking to Draco. 

"What happened?" She whispered to Draco. 

"Harry's uncle didn't feed him, for the most part. He's lost a lot of weight..." 

"Oh." She whispered. Then she got angry and turned on Harry. "Harry! And why didn't you tell me!" She questioned Harry. 

"I was fine 'Mione." He said softly, staring at the plate in front of him. 

"You weren't fine, Harry." Draco said. "I know that you've always been a little light, but-" 

"How would you know that?" Harry interrupted. He stared at Draco. 

"Before first year, remember. I was there when you were getting your robes fitted, or have you forgotten? Skinny was an understatement, I have to say." Draco smirked at him. 

"Yeah, like you're any better. You're all skin and bones." To prove his point he jabbed his finger into Draco's ribs. Draco glared at the finger and swatted it away. 

"I'm naturally thin. You just need to eat more." It was true. Draco, being a couple of inches taller than Harry, his weight was distributed differently. Though Harry was also right. "So eat." 

"Fine." He picked up his fork and shoved in a mouthful. 

"You still should have told me, Harry." She looked a bit hurt that he hadn't, but at least Draco knew. 

"I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to worry." He said in between bites. Draco was watching him as always, making sure he finished the entire plate. 

Throughout all this Petunia watched with wonder. She had never seen Harry so open and talkative. It was a change from the usual sadness she saw on his face. And his friends obviously cared about him, even the quiet one with the black hair. It was nice to see. She didn't even think about the fact that they were wizards. 

"So, Harry. Are you going to introduce me to your friends? I've never met any of them before." 

He looked up from his plate surprised. He hadn't realized this. "Sure aunt Petunia. Umm... This is Hermione, Blaise," Harry pointed to Blaise, who nodded at her, "and Draco." 

She looked at the blond for a second, as she had before. She had figured that he was Draco. "You were the one that sent the letter." It wasn't really a question. 

"Yes ma'am. I heard about what happened." He had heard from Harry exactly what happened. He was almost sorry that he had owled it. 

Petunia saw the question on Blaise's face. "Harry got a letter one morning, from that young man in front of you, I take it. Harry's uncle found it." 

"And that's how he and my aunt found out that I had a boyfriend." 

"If it's any consolation, Harry. I've yet to find a problem with your choice, aside from the fact that he's obviously too arrogant for his own good. But I guess that that's forgivable. Though it was certainly a surprise. I don't think your uncle will come around though." 

"And why are you taking this so well. I mean, us being here... The fact that I have a boyfriend..." He trailed off. 

"Why should I judge you, Harry? And I figured that you would tell me why you were here when you wanted to." 

Harry was shocked from the kindness that he was getting from his Aunt. By that fact that she was actually treating him like family. "We were expelled. I would rather not say why, though. Just in case you wanted to know why we're here." Harry shrugged. 

Now it was her turn to appear stunned. "Oh. Didn't you have another friend? I recall that he had red hair." 

"Ronald Weasly is not one of my friends." He looked away, glaring at nothing in particular. "He didn't agree with the lifestyles that Hermione and I decided to live. Me and Hermione decided to do a little shopping over the summer. He didn't approve. Ron blew up at us over something that petty. He and his family don't have that much in the way of money, and he gets a bit touchy about it. Then he and his brothers caught on to fact that one of us or both of us were sneaking out most nights. They decided to follow us one night and they ended up in the hospital wing of the school, incidentally, of course." 

"Of course. What happened?" She watched him carefully. 

"Well you see our school has four different houses." Hermione cut in. "Me and Harry are in Gryffindor and Blaise and Draco are in Slytherin. And well... Slytherin doesn't have the best reputation." 

"To say the least." Blaise put in. "Unrightfully judged, too." 

"So anyway, Ron really hates anyone from Slytherin." 

"And it doesn't help that his and my families are mortal enemies." Draco mumbled. 

"Oh, yes. I remember Lily writing home about living in something called Ravenclaw. Anyway, why is that?" She questioned him. This was really starting to get interesting. Sort of like those soap operas that she like to watch. 

"I don't know. All my father taught me growing up was that they were to be hated. And Weasly hasn't done anything for me to like him. He would kill me if he could. Especially after he found out about me and Harry. So naturally he tried to blame it all on Slytherin. Once we were found out people blamed me for corrupting him." 

"Ron just doesn't realize that I love Draco. And that I'm just not going to be the person he thought I was. Not now." 

Petunia looked closely at Harry as he talked, taking in all the differences in him. Noticing how he had grown. She noticed the tiny holes in both his ears, though there wasn't anything in them. Harry had taken the earrings out before they had arrived at the Dursley's. He wasn't going to give them another reason to taunt him. Petunia then noticed that his glasses were different. She hadn't been able to see before, because he had had his face in the covers on his bed. He had on a forest green long sleeve shirt and black pants, as always. Harry overall looked different, with new clothes and everything else. But were did the money for all this come from. "Interesting. You look nice Harry. But, how did you afford all this?" 

He smirked as he looked at her. "My parents left me a mountain of gold and silver." 

"Oh." She got up to clear the dishes off the table. Everyone had finished at some point throughout the talking. Harry got up to help her with the dishes. "You know, if you leave earrings out for to long the holes will close up." She said to Harry. 

He blushed for a second before reaching into his pockets and pulled out the silver earrings. 

"Let me." She picked took them from his hand and put them in. 

"Thank you." 

"Don't worry about your uncle, Harry." She pulled him into a quick hug. 

"He kicked me out the last time that I was here, literally. Among other things, I have right to be nervous." 

"I doubt that he would now that the house is overrun with magic folk, no offence." 

"None taken. 

"Besides, he doesn't know about the third boyfriend I ever had." 

"What do you mean?" 

"He left me for another guy, who just happened to be my second boyfriend. And my boyfriend before them-" 

"Left you for another guy?" He quipped. 

She laughed. "No! He went of to Beauxbatons." 

"He was a Wizard!" 

"Yes, Harry. We tried to keep on touch for a while, but it just didn't work. He just drifted away from me. It made me a bit sore towards anything having to do with magic for a while. I just wish that I could have told Lily that I was sorry. We were the best of friends up until then." She sighed to herself. She still regretted how she had treated her sister up until the day she had died. "But the point is, it doesn't matter what other people think." 

"We can still do magic, by the way. The ministry doesn't generally watch the outside world for underage magic while school is in." He smirked. "Besides, the wards on this house can be tweaked at bit." He left the rest unsaid. 

"Good for you. Now go with your boyfriend. I think he's getting a little irritated waiting on you." 

"He always looks like that." 

She laughed. "Two of you can use Dudley's room, if you would like to. And I would appreciate not hearing strange bumps in the night. Now get!" She shoed him up the stairs. 

"Took you long enough." Draco huffed. He was waiting at the top of the stairs with his arms crossed. 

"Catching up on lost years, Drake." 

Draco nodded, sombrely. "Are you coming now?" He looked as if he was going to start tapping his foot at any second. 

"Yes. You can be so impatient sometimes." He put his arm around him and kissed him on the cheek. 

"Only because it's you. Now let's go kick out Granger and Zabini. I'm going to teach you about making me wait!" 

"Sounds like fun." 

* * *

Chapter 6   
Chapter 8 


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter 8 

* * *

Petunia gave a small laugh as she watched the bickering couple. It's a shame that I never really got to know Harry, she thought to herself. Now what to do about Vernon? She loved her husband dearly, but he could be so annoying sometimes. Ok, most of the time. 

She had been shocked when she had found her husband passed out on the living room floor. He was mumbling that sounded like 'he's back'. She had dragged him up on the couch, which is not nearly as easy as it sounds, and waited until he woke. 

* * *

  
(flashback) 

"That freak nephew of yours if back! And he brought other freaks with him." 

"Could you please not call him that, Vernon." She rubbed her temples as she felt a headache coming on. 

"It's what he is Petunia!" 

"Could you be nice to him, just this once?! He'll be gone before we know it and all you've ever shown him was hate! And I haven't been much better." 

"Treat him how you like, Petunia. But, I'm going to treat the little freak how he deserves to be treated!" He stormed over to door, but turned before he opened it. "And if you were wondering HE was the one who felt the need to knock me out cold! All of you are freaks... in your genes..." He muttered the last part to himself, then grabbed his coat and left the house. 

"You probably deserved it." She mumbled and went to start dinner. 

(end flashback)   


* * *

"Time to get up Harry, Draco." She shook the two boys. 

"Don' wanna get up... stupid house-elves..." Draco mumbled in his sleep. 

Petunia stared at him for a second before pulling off the blanket and carried it out of the room in a huff. "'House-elf' my ass." Even though she didn't know exactly what a house elf was, she somehow knew that being called one was an insult. Even if the boy was half asleep at the time. Unfortunately for him and Harry, it was little more than ten degrees outside and it wasn't much warmer inside. And they were only in their boxers. Both woke up within about three seconds, looking around frantically for the nice warm blanket that had been covering them. 

Harry looked up when he heard someone snickering at the door. He saw his aunt holding the blanket that they had been looking for, smirking as she watched them. She tossed the boys the boys the blanket. 

"Time for breakfast, boys." She said, before she made her way into the other room to wake Blaise and Hermione. 

* * *

"Any plans for the day?" Petunia asked over her cup of coffee. 

"We were planning on taking a walk. You know, let Harry show us the sights around this town. It's the first time I've been to a muggle town." Draco replied. 

"Mine as well." Blaise said quietly. He was in unknown territory here. He wasn't sure how to act in the muggle world, and thought best to keep his mouth shut. Didn't seem to be stopping Draco, though. 

"And I haven't been to this part of England. Except for when I came to pick up Harry, obviously." Hermione put in. 

"This part of town isn't interesting, I assure you." 

"Where's Vernon?" Harry asked. He had been wondering where his uncle had gone since yesterday. 

"I don't know, Harry. He been gone since yesterday." She looked worried. Vernon never stayed gone this long without her knowing where he was. What if he was in trouble... 

"He's probably fine, unfortunately." He added the last part under his breath. 

"Harry!" She admonished. 

"Well..." He just raised his eyebrows at her. 

"Never mind. I just wonder were he is." 

* * *

"What's first?" Blaise asked Harry. 

"I want to go visit someone, first." He gave a bit of a secretive smile. 

"What!" Draco said. He could visit someone any time. He was supposed to take them around, not visit some nameless nobody. 

"I want to have some fun." His eyes sparkled with a secretive glee. 

Hermione just looked at him. What was he talking about? 

"Before I started at Hogwarts aside from Vernon and Dudley, there was Dudley's best friend Piers. I just want to go see him. I have to thank him for being so kind to me." He really was in a good mood now. 

"Then we must go." Draco smirked. He answered before one of the others could question Harry. 

"Bet he wouldn't ever expect a visit from me." 

"Shouldn't he still be at school now?" Hermione asked. 

"He dropped out." 

"Won't he wander why we aren't at school? And what about his parents? What if we get caught?" 

"You know that you're bordering on annoying right now, Granger." Draco put in. 

Hermione pointedly ignored him. 

"He won't ask, not that it matters. And his parents are never home. Besides, with what he has in that house, I doubt that he would call the police, at least not right away." 

* * *

Piers opened the door to see the last person he had expected to be ringing his doorbell. 

Harry Potter. 

And he brought friends with him. Something's different about him, he observed. 

"What the hell do you want." Piers said, even though he knew that he should probably be quiet. Potter probably remembered what he had put him through as a kid. He shouldn't start anything now that he was out numbered, four to one. And there was something strange... something he couldn't quite put his finger on. /Though... Potter had always been a little off, wouldn't be surprised if something had happened to him./ 

"Oh, you wouldn't say no to speaking with an old friend." Potter smiled at him as if they actually had been friends. 

"Sure, um, come in." He opened the door further to let the group in. 

He couldn't help watching them as they passed. It was the way they all moved. Together, like they had choreographed every step that they took. /Weird/ he thought before he closed the door. /Maybe I should lower my dosage, I'm starting to imagine things./ 

"Where's you're bathroom?" The girl asked before she even sat down. 

He looked her over before he answered. She was hot, he had to admit. Curves and all. Nice breast, too. He then noticed the blue-eyed boy watching him. The look there told him that he had better stay away if he wanted to everything to stay attached. 

"Uhh... yeah. It's the second door one the right." 

He then turned back to the three boys on the couch. Potter was sitting strangely close to that silver boy. The boy who currently had his hand moving around on Potter's thigh. He wondered... "He your boyfriend?" Piers asked. 

"Who?" Potter asked. His eye's got all big and round when he looked at him, just dripping with innocence. /Disgusting, really... need to go get a fix, my eyes are going funny.../ 

But anyway... /How dumb could the guy be?/ "The guy beside you on the couch, with his arm around you. Hand on thigh... Who else could I be asking about!?" 

"Oh, yeah. Him!" He smiled suddenly and snuggled closer to the boy. The boy just pulled him closer and smirked at Piers. He did that a lot apparently. 

"Should have figured that you would take it up the ass, Potter." He almost laughed at his own joke. Instead he opted for a small grin. 

Harry frowned for a second before asking him to take a seat. "Just because we're guest doesn't mean that you can't be comfortable." He reasoned. 

The only seat left gave him a perfect view of the hallway. Just before he got seated Piers saw a brown blur streak through the hallway. He froze on the spot and just stared. 

"Are you ok?" Potter asked, seemingly worried. 

He shook his head and looked again. Nothing. "Just fine," he said after a moment. /What the hell had that been?/ 

"Anyway, this is Draco and Blaise." He pointed first to the boyfriend, and then to the other black haired boy. 

Piers nodded to them. "Who was the chick?" /Maybe she's free. And easy.../ 

"Her name is Hermione." Blaise glared at him. 

Just then he saw it again. Only this time the animal had stopped in middle of the hallway, as if waiting for him to say something. There was a wolf. In his house. 

"Shit!" He jumped up and the wolf ran again. 

"What was it?" Harry asked. There was a suspicious glint in his eye. Piers noticed that his eyes were no longer green, but black. Piers blinked and Potter's eyes were back to normal. 

"It was... a wolf." Piers finally got out, trembling slightly. 

"You don't say." Draco said. 

Black stripes. Black stripes ran all over his pale face. That can't be. They weren't there a second ago. Fear. /What the fucking hell was going on here!!!/ Once again he blinked, and the stripes where gone. Piers looked down and finally noticed that hands were shaking. 

"There isn't a wolf there, Piers." Harry replied. "Are you sure that you're ok?" He was so calm that it was a more than little unnerving. 

"Quit asking me that!!!!" He yelled and grabbed his head. He was afraid to look at the other one. And where had the wolf gone. He wasn't going to go look for it. He knew that much. Better the wolf come find them and have more choices on who it would snack on. /Can't call the police.../ 

"He's right. You don't look so well," Blaise replied. 

He finally looked. Hair had sprouted on the other boy's hand and his eyes had thinned, like a cat's. 

"You!... You aren't normal!!!" His eyes were wide and his eyes were dilated in fear. 

"You don't say." 

He whirled around. The girl was back. She gave him a teasing smile and sauntered up to him with an almost unreal grace. She stopped about a foot in front of him. 

"Y-y-ou're all like him!" Piers pointed to Harry. 

"What gave you the first clue?" Blaise got up from his seat and went to Hermione's side, sliding an arm around her waist. 

"'Cause, we are friends of Harry's. It only makes sense." Draco got up and stretched. The stripes were back. Draco's shirt came up a bit as he reached his arms up. There were more stripes there. Also on the sides of his face, almost reaching his eyes. His hair was streaked jet black and the purest silver. His eyes were also going a bit eerie. His grey eyes had taken on more of a silverish colour. Like cold steel. 

"I think this is the part where you run." Harry said. "Run, little boy." All cheerfulness was gone from Harry's face and was replaced by malice. Harry was enjoying himself, right now. Piers stumbled over something on the floor when Harry took a step forward. Harry smiled at the terror in his eyes. The panic and loathing mixed together. 

"What did I do to you!!??" 

"What did you do?!" Harry laughed, though it wasn't the happy sound it should be. "You and your friends tortured me as a child. You chased me, hunted me down. I have had nightmares most my life about that. Least until I figured what I should really be afraid of. You, Dudley, and whoever else you could convince to come along for the ride. Then you would tie me up and beat me till I was unconscious. Then leave me till I could untie myself and find my way home. That's what you did. We would have gone to Dudley, but unluckily for you he isn't here. I saw a chance to get revenge and took it. You aren't moving. I thought I said run." 

Piers listened this time and took off as fast as he could, leaving the door open behind him. 

* * *

Harry was laughing so hard his stomach hurt. He couldn't get over the look on Pier's face as he took off. Oh, that was good. 

The others were also lounging on the couches in the abandoned living room, laughing it up. 

"That was amazing, Harry. I've never seen anyone that scared in my life. And that's saying something." Draco got up to find the kitchen so that he could find something to drink. All this laughing was making his throat dry. He found it in under a minute. It was surprisingly easy, but then he remembered that it wasn't exactly a mansion. The picture of Pier's face popped up again and he almost dropped laughing. That memory probably would stay with him for a while. 

Once he got over it he had to figure out how to open the refrigerator. He had seen Harry, Petunia, and Hermione open the other one, but this one had two handles in the centre on it. He pulled at the right handled and it opened. There were several different drinks in it. Draco saw a dark brown bottle open on the bottom shelf and smelled it to see what it was. He immediately recoiled back and put the sour smelling bottle back into the cold box. He then spotted a couple of plastic bottles that he recognized as soda. He pulled those and brought them back to the living room. 

* * *

"We're back!!" Harry shouts first thing when they get back in the house. They had spent the rest on the day out exploring the town, after they finished with Piers. They had called the police after they had gotten themselves under control. Hermione had found every drug imaginable in the back of that house. They left quickly after calling, not wanting to be questioned about why they were there. 

"Did you have a good time?" Petunia asked. She was preparing dinner. Vernon was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the daily newspaper. 

"Oh, so you're back." Harry looked down his nose at the man. 

Vernon just grunted and folded his newspaper. He put it under his arm and started to go up the stairs- 

"Stay right where you are!" Immediately Vernon stopped dead in his tracks and trudged back to the table. "There now," Petunia said, "how was your day?" 

"Great." Harry pulled up a chair and the others joined him at the table. 

Petunia was about to ask him to elaborate, when Harry interrupted her. "Trust me, you don't want to know," he said with a sly smile. 

"You're probably right. Oh, as long as you had fun." She smirked. They had probably been up to no good, knowing them. Which, unfortunately, she didn't all that well, though she was beginning to. It tuned out she was right this time. 

Vernon only grunted, once again reading his paper. Petunia put the plates on the table and took a seat herself. 

* * *

Draco woke up the next morning to an empty bed. 

At first he thought that Harry had just gone to the bathroom, but when he went across the hall there was no one there. Panicked, he raced down the hall and banged on the other door down the hall. 

"Open the door!" Maybe he was in there! 

Blaise opened the door and rubbed his eyes. Draco quickly pushed pass him and looked frantically around. Hermione barely had enough time to pull the cover further up. 

"What is it Drac...ccc...oo." She yawned partially through it. She was glad that it was only him and not Harry's perverted uncle (who had already tried to peak in, but had been threatened with bodily harm), but still, it was too early to be up. 

"Harry's missing!" Draco shouted. 

"Shh! You're going to wake up the whole house! Now turn around for a minute." Hermione stood up and wrapped the blanket tighter around her. 

"What do you mean by 'Harry's missing'?" Blaise closed the door behind Draco. 

"HARRY. IS. MISSING!! What else could I possibly mean!! Now get off your asses and help me find him!" Draco buried his head into his hand and pulled his hair. 

"Draco! Calm down. He probably just went outside." Hermione replied. 

"Why would he leave at four in fucking morning!!?? This just doesn't feel right!" Draco dropped on the bed and Hermione wrapped her arms around him. Blaise held on to the both of them. "I know that something is wrong." He was almost sobbing. 

"Why don't we go look for him? Just give us a chance to get dressed." Blaise said. 

"I'm sure that we'll find him." She squeezed tighter. She was close to tears herself. Harry had been her closest friend longer than anyone, even before Ron had been. She didn't know what she would do if he were to disappear. 

* * *

  
(exerts from Riddle Castle) 

"What is your mission?" 

"To serve you." 

"Who do you serve?" 

"You, my lord." 

"And who is your lord?" 

"Voldemort." 

"Good." A furtive smiled formed on his face. "You won't forget again, will you?" 

"No, my lord." 

The smile lessened as a thought crossed his mind, but he paid no matter to it. 

* * *

  
(a month later) 

"No, my Lord," the boy bowed his head. 

Voldemort lifted his chin with his cold hand. "Relax, Harry, I would not hurt you. You mean too much to me. What would I do without you? You are my best." 

"Yes, sir," his emerald eyes still lowered. 

"Good. Now you can leave. And remember, be prepared this time when I summon you, and follow directions. I won't let you off next time." He suspected that Harry had been late because he had been fooling around with his fiancé. Maybe this would discourage that a bit. He really had to find a way to stop them before... things, got any farther. 

"Yes." The boy bowed one more time and left. 

/...and I'll just have to deal with Weasly some other way... Damn! WHY DID I EVER AGREE TO THEM MARRYING/ But he knew why, it was to make to two happy. Unless Harry ever found out who he was, then there would be hell to pay, for everyone involved. 

Voldemort sighed and went back to his planning. All had gone well so far. Harry had adjusted far better than expected. Even after Dumbledore's thorough programming, along with everything else. The boy suspected nothing. 

"Weasly!" 

A familiar redhead came from behind the curtain. 

"Lurking as usual." 

"Y-yes." Ron shook with fear. 

"Always watching Potter. You still haven't entirely informed me why you turned him over to me. Not that I'm ungrateful. On the contrary, I am greatly pleased. Though, I wonder why... would someone who hates, no... loathes, anything Slytherin would give up his very famous best friend. I know that I came off as harsh at first, but I truly am grateful. Though, be careful how you answer, you are still on thin ice, I assure you." 

"I know, sir." The dull brown eyes stared ahead. Ron still remembered his first day in the castle. He shivered. 

"Tell me. Nagini's wedding is coming up and I must know everything useful about the groom. I know that there is something that you are not telling." 

"There's nothing of importance, s-sir." Weasly started to shake. 

"But I think is of importance." He grabs the boy hair and pulls, to make him feel pain. It was hard to hold back the hate he felt for this boy. "You wouldn't have antagonized him the way you did if it wasn't important." 

"You won't like it." Weasly tries to not wince, but can't help the gasp that comes out. 

Voldemort, hair still in his grasp, sends the boy hurling across the room. "I never said I would. But, if you want to keep your life, you will quit wasting my time!" he hissed. 

Weasly stumbled back to his feet. "Yes, sir. It's Potter and Malfoy, the son. They are, w-were, to-together." He slowly gains back his anger, unthinking of what Voldemort may, and would do to him. "It goes against nature! Unnatural. I couldn't sit by and let that happen, even if it meant going to you. I had to save him. This is a far better fate for him than being reduced to that." Voldemort's eyes flared in anger. 

He silently summoned back Harry from his quarters. 

"'Unnatural' you say." Voldemort leaned forward and kissed the redhead, making it forceful. Weasley moaned in pain when Voldemort bit his lip. 

He was pushed away forcefully and landed on his back. He felt his lip and when he pulled it away there was blood on his fingertips. "You're just as sick as he is!" He spat. He shook in fear even as he said this. He watched as Voldemort's dark blue eyes narrowed, dangerously. Ron didn't see Harry walk in behind him. 

"Bite your tongue! Unless you want me to do it for you." He smirked at the boy and ran a hand through his own hair, pulling it back before letting it fall again. "I lied, you know. You are not forgiven." 

Weasly paled and stayed quiet as told. He just lay shivering on the floor, trying to contemplate what just happened. 

"Potter! Take him to my rooms. You know what to do." A sinister smile covered his face. He would have fun with this one. That would be his punishment. 

"Yes." An equally dark smile crossed Potters. He knew very well. He grabbed Weasly's arm and dragged him up the stairs. 

* * *

Chapter 7   
Chapter 9 


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter 9 

* * *

"Let go! I can walk myself, you freak." Harry had already dragged him up one flight one stairs before he was able to get to his feet. 

"No." He was enjoying to sounds he made every time he hit another step. He hated this boy, deeply. He didn't know why, but he just liked to see him in pain. 

"Please, Harry!" Ron pleaded. He received a slap across his face. It nearly sent him back down the stairs. 

"Do not address me in that manner!!" Harry glared at him, then grabbed his arm again. 

"Harry, you're under a spell!" 

"I'm probably under several spells." He continued to pull Ron behind him. 

"You weren't meant to be here." /it's too good for you!/ But Ron would keep those thoughts quiet, if he ever had the chance of getting Potter to let him go. 

"I like it here." They had arrived at Voldemort's rooms. Harry pulled his key out and unlocked the door. 

"Please, don't do this!" Ron said as Harry pulled him towards the bed. 

"Why not." Harry pulled the manacles out from the post and clasped them around his wrists, leaving him by the side of the bed. 

"You don't know what you're doing!" his eyes widened. Harry couldn't leave him like this! 

"Have fun." 

Harry left him tied there and locked the door behind him. 

* * *

  
(later) 

"Have any fun today?" Nagini asked as she drew Harry towards the bed. 

"Not really. Just dealing with Weasly again." Harry rolled his eyes and collapsed backwards on to the bed. 

They had been together for as long as he could remember. Many around the manor called her 'the Red Lady', appropriately. She had long red hair and was currently wearing a beautiful crimson gown. She also had deep blue eyes, just like her father's. 

"You should really try and remember to follow orders, you know." She smiled seductively at him. 

"It was your fault in the first place." He glared at her. 

"Well, if we are ever to marry, it would do you well to be on time to a meeting." she said sweetly. To which Harry just rolled his eyes. 

"You know just as well as I that he would not hurt me." Though she knew that he worried sometimes, you could never been sure with Voldemort. 

Voldemort had given his permission when she had asked for his hand in marriage. Harry was his most loyal deatheater, and his daughter wouldn't have settled for anything less than the best. 

Nagini crawled on to of him and began to move her fingers under his shirt. She leaned to kiss his chest, then his lips and Harry drew her forward. The kiss became more intimate, and she worked on the clasps on his pants. 

"No!" Harry shoved her off him without thinking about what he was doing. "Not right now." He pulled his legs up his to his body and put his head on his knees. Harry's heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it would come out. He slowly began to rock back and forth, not knowing what was wrong with him. His breath quickened, but not with excitement. 

"Ouch! That hurt Harry. And why the hell not!" She was about used to this happening, but still annoying. She would just have to keep trying; Harry would submit to her eventually, her spell would see to that. 

"I don't know..." Harry stopped rocking and leaned back on the pillows. 

"We used to get intimate all the time, before. Or don't you remember!" She leaned against the side of the bed, staring up at him. 

"Yes, I remember! I don't know what's wrong with me." He heard a knock on the door, it was Durmail. "I'm being summoned." 

"Yeah, whatever..." She crossed her arms across her and pouted. 

Harry leaned down to kiss her. "We'll try again later." He was happy when Nagini smiled back at him. He then drew away walked from the room. /It's too bad that I'm not interested in you, Nagi. I'm sorry, love./ As he walked he thought of the boy that haunted his dreams. 

* * *

Petunia sat at the table poring a cup of tea when she heard the door slam. Voices. They were back. 

"...Harry has been missing for over a month now..." 

"And all of a sudden he returns." A girl's voice. 

Petunia dropped the teapot when she heard the news on her nephew, and raced into the room. 

"He's back!" She frantically looks behind them to see her nephew... but he isn't there. 

"We saw him in town yesterday. Along with a bunch of deatheaters." 

"We tried to go after him..." Hermione looked as if she was about to cry. "But when he saw us, it was as if he didn't know us. He just kept walking." 

Draco just stared ahead expressionless. 

"Then him and another deatheater walked up to this man and Harry killed him!" 

Petunia gasped at the news and her heart sunk. How could he have done such a thing! What was becoming of her dear Harry? She did know her nephew well... but he wasn't a murderer! 

"We don't know what's wrong with him, or how we're supposed to find out." 

/how could he do this to me! He's alive, and apparently well, but he didn't come back. He doesn't want to come back to me!/ Draco got up and ran up the stairs to be alone. Harry's disappearance might have been the hardest on him. They had searched the whole town and even tried to contact Dumbledore. The headmaster never answered their reply, and they didn't find hide nor hair of the boy, until now. Even some of his things were gone. 

"Will he be ok?" Petunia's eye followed Draco as he made his way up. Draco had been different lately, more quiet. He rarely even came out the room anymore, except to look for Harry. He looked nearly like a ghost he had grown so pale. 

"I don't know. But, we need to find Harry." Blaise answered. 

"Draco is so worried about him that he doesn't eat. Most of the meals you send up to him get tossed out the window." /happy ants/ "And I'm getting tired of forcing him to eat. I won't keep using imperious on him. I didn't learn it to use on my friends!" She shouted, trying to be heard over music coming from up the stairway. She could barely even her herself talk. 

sometimes, I need to remember just to breath   
sometimes, I need you to STAY AWAY FROM ME! 

"We have to find Harry soon if we want either of them to survive. He doesn't really know what to do without him, and we aren't enough." Yelled over the music this time. 

sometimes I, in disbelief, I didn't know   
somehow, I need you to go 

"Yes." 

don't stay   
forget our memories   
forget our possibilities   
what you were changing me into   
just give me myself back and 

Petunia left them in the living room, and wasn't seen until dinner. The song played a couple times more. 

don't stay   
forget our memories   
forget our possibilities   
take all your faithlessness with you   
just give me myself back and 

Up stairs Vernon she found Vernon trying to stuff his pillow in his ears, trying to block out the song. She yanked it away and swung it at the back of head. 

don't stay 

sometimes I, feel that I've trusted you too well   
sometimes I, just feel like screaming at myself   
sometimes I, in disbelief I didn't know   
somehow I, need to be alone 

don't stay   
forget our memories   
forget our possibilities   
what you were changing me into   
just give me myself back and 

don't stay   
forget our memories   
forget our possibilities   
take all your faithlessness with you   
just give me myself back and 

don't stay 

I don't need you, anymore   
I don't want to be ignored   
I don't need one, more day   
of you wasting me away 

I don't need you, anymore   
I don't want to be ignored   
I don't need one, more day   
of you wasting me away 

with no apology   
don't stay 

don't stay   
forget our memories   
forget our possibilities   
what you were changing me into   
just give me myself back and 

don't stay   
forget our memories   
forget our possibilities   
take all the faithlessness with you   
just give me myself back control 

-

-

-

-

/don't stay/ 

-

-Linkin Park 

* * *

"Tell me. Why am I here, again..." Draco muttered into the window. 

Petunia and Hermione had dragged him out of the house to go pick up Dudley for winter vacation. Blaise had decided to stay behind and make sure that Vermin hadn't destroyed their things while they were out. Besides, they couldn't all have fitted in the car once they picked up Dudley from the Smeltings train station. 

"Because, you need to get out of the house." Hermione said from the front passenger seat. 

"No, I don't." Draco sneered at her before going back to staring blankly out the window. 

"Yes, you do. You've rarely been out your room since..." She left the last part unspoken. There wasn't a need to. 

"Since Harry disappeared, I haven't had a reason to go out anywhere!" Draco snapped. He sounded almost as hateful as he used to. 

"Draco, you're wasting away. I don't know how else to say this, but you need to do something. We can't make you eat, but we can at least get you out of the house. You need to get your mind off of Harry!" 

They rest of the ride silent while they pulled up to the train station. 

"Oh, there he is." Petunia pointed to the squat boy, who was waddling as fast as he could to the car. 

"How the hell did that come out of you!" Draco braced his hands on the inside of the car door. 

"Draco! That isn't polite!" Hermione hissed. 

"Forget politeness; I really want to know." He stared at Petunia, at the boy, and back again. Dudley had managed to make it a couple more feet. "Really, could he move any slower? He could roll over here faster." 

"Draco!" She couldn't reach back to slap him. "And, he wasn't always that big." She admonished. 

"Oh, sorry." He flushed and sank back in the seat behind her. 

They waited several more minutes before Dudley stretched his podgy hands out to flag down the car. He had given up hope of running there. It was too much work. Petunia was kind enough to drive up for him. 

* * *

"Durmail!" Voldemort called to a deatheater. 

"Yes, Master." The trembling old man bowed. 

"I've have been wondering of late..." 

"Yes..." 

"Do you think that we can continue to fool the boy?" the Dark Lord asked of him. "I have been thinking of telling him the truth. It might do him well to know." 

"Which boy... sir." 

"Potter. I have no reason to care about the other." 

"I do not know. He has been nothing but loyal to you. With the exception of his... episodes. Though they are a minor thing. Why tell him? He is doing fine," he questioned. 

"His 'episodes'? I thought that you were giving him something for that. He shouldn't have to suffer like that. You know the consequences if he does," he threatened. 

"Of course! They won't continue, of this I am sure!" Durmail further cowered away from Voldemort. 

"Yes, I'm sure." Voldemort sneered at the decrepit man before him. 

"Get Potter. I have a job for him." A sly grin crossed his face. 

"Yes....s-sir." The old man started to hobble out of the chamber. 

"And Durmail..." he said in a sing-song way. 

The man shoulders hunched briefly before he turned. 

"Killing you will be the least of your worries... if you disappoint me." He deadpanned this time. 

"Yes..." 

"Now leave!" Durmail scrambled out as fast as he could. 

Voldemort sniggered as he watched the man and than he collapsed back on his thrown, laughing. It certainly paid of being the "Dark Lord". After a few minutes he was interrupted by a soft voice. 

"You called." Harry said. 

"Yes. How are things going with my daughter?" He hoped everyday that there was some change in the situation. But no, there never was, and he couldn't think of a reason of protest that would be valid to Nagini. With the exception of the truth. Now that he knew of Harry's original preference, he was curious if it still held to him. He hadn't taken this into consideration when he rewrote his memories. 

"Fine... as usual." Harry looked down as he said this. He didn't want to tell him what had happened, what kept happening, although he probably knew already. Voldemort had been lenient towards him for as long as he could remember, but he knew that his soon-to-be father-in-law would hurt him, kill him, if he knew he hurt his daughter. Though she never showed it, he knew that he hurt her every time that he pushed her away. He didn't want to, he just couldn't help it. 

"You don't have to lie to me Harry. I have gained some new insight." Voldemort reached out with pale, thin fingers. He raised the boy's chin to look him. "And I know that things aren't always well. To tell you the truth, I'm a bit relieved." 

"I'm sorry," he said and closed his eyes. Harry knew what was going to come. He'd seen it done to others, for less. 

"Open your eyes." Harry complied. "I'm not going to kill you, though I can't speak for Nagini. She is so like her mother." He saw the question on the boys face and answered him before he had the chance to ask. "No need to worry about that, Harry. On the contrary, I have a job for you." Voldemort let go the boy and sat back on his thrown. 

Harry smiled a little. Voldemort wasn't going to kill him, and instead he gave him something to do. He only gave missions to his most trusted, unless he needed his numbers. Harry was about to go stir-crazy in this castle. 

"I'm glad that you're happy." Voldemort smirked. So easy to please. Just a little praise and his whole demeanour could change. "I'm sending you and Nagini." He watched Harry's smile dim a bit. "You two are my best. That's why I'm sending you. Normally, I might give you two some time apart. But this is special..." This is for you Harry, only you'll never know it. And my daughter will just have to get over him. I'm not going to make him go through some of the things that I did, even if some cannot be helped. "And I want to talk to you when you come back." 

"What is it about?" /have I done something else?/ Harry wondered. 

"Don't worry about that now. As for your mission, there's a man that I need for the two of you to take care of. His name Vernon Dursley." /I will let you get all your revenge, even if you never know that it was for you./ 

* * *

Harry and Nagini arrived on Privet drive later that night. They then changed into snakes to sneak into the house. Harry a black one and Nagini a red one. Voldemort had ordered them kill a man named Vernon Dursley, but he didn't tell them who he was. Though Harry didn't ask, it wasn't his place. He had just said that this was important. 

They slithered up the side of the house, up to one of the bedroom windows. They slid in under the window, it had been left open, and dropped to the floor below. There was a loud squawk but they ignored it and continued, to find the door. Nagini hoped that they had gotten into the right house this time. The last house Harry had gotten the number wrong. They had entered the house and had been spotted by a teenage boy, who had run screaming the second he had seen them. 

Nagini would have sighed if she could. She liked Harry but he would have to start paying attention to things better. Like her, for instance. She glared at his retreating tail. The owl hooted again, notifying their presence. 

They slithered past the owl cage when a voice stopped them. 

"Harry?" 

Harry looked up and saw a blond boy staring at him. Same boy as on the street. How did he know his name? Unimportant. They had a job to do, and no reason to wonder about this boy. Him and Nagini started to slide faster out of the room when a hand grabbed him. /Nagini go ahead of me! I'll catch up./ Without looking back she slithered away. 

/He had better get out of there and help me!/ she thought as she found the stairs. 

Harry wiggled harder trying to get out of the boys grip. 

Draco had to tighten his hold on the snake. He didn't grip it to tight, in case it was Harry. "Harry! Please let it be you!" Draco pleaded with the snake. A month had been too long without him. 

Harry watched as the boy pleaded with him almost towards tears. He almost took pity on him. No, he had to complete his mission of he was sure that He would not spare him for sure. This mission was too important. Harry wiggled harder and Draco yelled for Blaise and Hermione to come upstairs while he still had a grip on the squirming snake in his hand. A couple of times he had to grab the head to keep from being bit. 

"Hermione, Blaise! Quick! I've got him!" He yelled out of the room. 

"We're coming!" Hermione and Blaise ran up the stairs when the heard Draco's scream. 

"Is it Harry?" Blaise held his chest as he panted. He had nearly had a heart attack when he heard Draco call them. 

Dravo stared some more at the struggling cobra in his fists. "It has to be. There's another snake as well in the house. I saw it go out the door. I couldn't get it and hold Harry at the same time." 

"I'll go get it." Hermione ran out of the room to find the other snake, changing along the way. 

"Blaise, can you close the window?" 

"Uh, yeah." He ran over to close it. 

"Harry. I know it's you." He could recognize that snake anywhere. 

/I can't change back!/ Harry thought to himself, as he tried as hard as he could to get free. /Though it might be my only chance./ 

"Are you sure it isn't another?" 

"Yes! It has to be him..." Draco nearly let go and broke down when Blaise took the snake from his hands. Draco scooted back and leaned against the bed. He then wrapped his arms around his body and rocked against the side of the bed. Harry was so close but there wasn't anything that he could do about it. Why wouldn't he turn back? Why did he just show up now? 

Blaise didn't know what he was supposed to do. He could continue to hold the snake in his grasp, that was supposedly one of his best friends, or he could comfort Draco. 

Luckily Hermione came back in with a limp red snake in her muzzle. It jerked now an again as Hermione's energy coursed through it. Blaise took it with his other hand while she turned back. 

Hermione then went to check on Draco. 

/That's it! I have to break my cover, there might be others. Changing back might shock him into letting go!/ Harry thought, already making the change. 

Blaise watched the snake change back to the boy had called his friend. But he dropped him once Harry was too large to hold onto. Harry then pulled his wand from the black robes he was wearing, pointing it at him. 

"I am not your Harry. I can assure you, I'm someone else, entirely." He said when he could speak. 

Damn! I forgot my wand! Blaise thought, after searching his pockets. 

"Petrificus totalus!" Harry yelled at him, then quickly repeated to spell before the others in the room could come stop him. He then revived Nagini and she turned back. 

"It's about time you helped me!" She screeched. Fire flared in her eyes. 

"What! I thought you had it under control." Harry smirked at her, and sat back down on the floor. 

"Smart bastard." 

"You know it." 

Nagini just glared at him before speaking again. "I almost completed the mission before that bitch," She glared at the Hermione, "pun intended, grabbed me!" She crossed her arms over her chest and continued to glare. "Oh, and there's something seriously wrong with THAT female, by the way. Her magic is unstable. I'm still recovering from when she grabbed me!" 

"Fine. I'll go do it." He put out a hand for Nagini to help him up. She ignored the offered hand and sat on the bed, with a huff. 

Harry rolled his eyes and pushed himself up. He gave the unconscious bodies one last look before he walked out the door. /Do they know me somehow?/ he thought to himself. 

* * *

Chapter 8   
Chapter 10 


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 

* * *

Harry didn't see Nagini's searching look towards him as he left. /Oh, Harry.../ she thought, wistfully to herself. 

/So these were your friends.../ she looked over the bodies. /Was he perhaps with one of them, before... Maybe that was why he couldn't allow her to become closer to him, regardless of the spells. She had thought that it would have been fun to be with him, to have him as hers. She had wanted for Harry to love her, and her father had consented to her spell, reluctantly, as long as she didn't force herself onto him. He doesn't want his 'precious boy' to be hurt. Sometimes I think he loves Harry more than he loves me! He has even asked me to remove my spell, of late. He won't even tell me why. 

But maybe I did the wrong thing. He thinks he loves me, but he ends up hurting me, even if it isn't on purpose... He breaks my spell sometimes, on his own, somehow. But, I still want him!/ 

* * *

Harry was oblivious to his would be 'lover's' inner battle as he wondered around the house. He passes by a room, with the other boy, who was also strangely familiar... But not Vernon Dursley, just the son. He wondered into the living room where he saw a woman tending to a man on the couch. /Bingo/, Harry thought. 

He pointed his wand at the couple on the couch. Voldemort wouldn't mind if he killed one more than told. Harry smiled and started the spell when the women yelled for him to stop. 

"Harry! You don't want to do this!" she begged, tears were running down her face. 

"Of course I do!" His smile faded. /Don't I.../ 

"This isn't like you, Harry. I beg you not to do this!" Tears began to fall. 

"How do you know me!?" Harry yelled back, he had yet to have lowered him wand. 

"Please, you won't regret it. I swear, you won't!" She ran forward and grabbed Harry and pulled him into her arms. "Harry, I love you so much." She said this before passing out, everything had become too much for the woman. 

"Petunia..." He had no idea where the name came from. 

He picked up the woman and placed her beside her husband. /As you wish./(1) He placed a kiss on her forehead and left them there. Voldemort would have to understand. 

* * *

"Let's leave. We're done here." Harry said once he had reached the room. Ignoring the fact that Nagini looked as if she had been crying. 

"You killed him?" 

"No. Let's just leave." He started to change back before he felt Nagini put her hand on his shoulder. "What is it?" he asked her. 

She put her arms around him before answering. "Nothing. Just hold me for a second." 

Harry complied with her wish and placed his head on her shoulder. 

"I want to bring them back with us." She whispered. 

"Why." He asked her. 

"They are important. Besides, they may help Voldemort." 

"Yes." Harry kissed her cheek before pulling away. 

They levitated the bodies and left the house. Then they apparated with the bodies. 

* * *

/To tell or not to tell/ That was the question that had plagued him of late. /I'll tell him soon.../ he told himself. 

The door slammed, bringing him out of his thoughts. 

"They are back, my Lord." Durmail bowed when he entered Voldemort's study. 

"Good. Did they complete their mission?" Voldemort looked up from the book he had been reading. 

"No, sir." 

"What did you say!?" Voldemort slammed the book down. 

"Th-they d-didn't do i-it." Durmail would have ran, from the look on his lord's face, but, he knew that it would only be worse for him, in the end. 

"Crucio!" 

Voldemort sat back, thinking about the situation before him. Why hadn't they completed their task? 

He looked over at his subordinate, who was tossing himself around on the floor, and making a real spectacle of himself. He rolled his eyes before muttering, "Finite Incantatum." 

Durmail picked himself up from the floor and dusted him self off, jerking every now and then. 

"Anything else?" Voldemort raised an eyebrow at him. 

"They brought prisoners. Possible recruits. There's something wrong with one of them. And another has a slight injury. I think it was the young master." 

"Very well, see to them. Now leave." 

/They must be his friends. That's it, I have to talk to Harry/ He sat. Once again. Brooding to himself. How to break it to him without traumatizing him? 

* * *

Harry had finished locking the door when Durmail found him. 

"Durmail." He nodded. 

"Young master, our lord wishes to see you. He said that I was to take care of the prisoners." 

The boy nodded and made his way to the study. 

He found Tom reading one of the many books that littered the room. He knocked softly before entering the room. 

"Oh, yes. Harry, come in." He waved the boy to the chair in front of him. He paused for a moment before speaking. "I'm glad that you are alright." 

Harry nodded, looking at his feet, some of his confidence earlier vanishing. He had failed his mission. Tom would have to punish him now. As he had seen him do to several others when they failed a mission. 

"Harry, it's alright. I would never hurt you. I sure that there was a reason." 

"I don't know." 

Harry still looked like he didn't believe him, so he rose from his chair and sat beside the boy in his chair. He than wrapped his arms around the boy, who relaxed into his embrace. 

"Everything will be ok?" Harry replied quietly. 

"Yes." He drew back the boy before returning to his own seat. "I called you here because I have something to discuss with you." He noticed that Harry still looked uncertain. "It's about you Harry." 

"What about me?" 

"Please forgive me, Harry." Please forgive me. He picked up his wand from the desk and pointed it at the boy in front of him. "Finite Incantatam." 

He watched as Harry's eyes clouded over than saw Potter looking back. Potter. He was not Harry. 

"What the fuck did you do to me!?" Potter jumped up and brandished his wand from his pocket. 

"What I had to do. Listen to me. Please." Tom begged. 

"Why should I listen to a bastard like you!?" He glared at the man in front of him. How dare he! 

"It's important that you hear me out. Why don't we put the wands away." He took in the slight glow around the boy. A silver colour. Cold. 

"You first." Potter spat. Tom hated the flat look in his eyes, like he really wanted to kill him. He nodded before he placed his wand in the drawer, trusting that HE would not pull his wand on him now that he was nearly defenceless, and the boy placed his on the desk. 

"You aren't in danger here." Tom pleaded. "Please sit." 

He stared at Voldemort for a second before taking the seat behind him. He didn't trust him; he just didn't seem to have much of a choice. If he tried to run he would just be killed by the deatheaters outside the room. He might be able to take down a few. But the numbers would get him eventually. 

"You used me." Tom felt the power leaking from the boy and pushed his chair away from him, warily. 

"Harry, please. I have to tell you. I couldn't wait any longer. James Potter was not your father." 

"What! And you are? Do you really expect me to believe that?" Potter glared at him. The glowed brightened, unknown to the boy himself. 

"No! I'm not." How do I explain this, he thought to himself. "I'm not your father. No one is." Voldemort tried to catch his eyes, to make him understand. 

"How can no one be my father? That isn't possible." 

"Dumbledore tricked your mother. He has blood from the all school founders locked away. His family has held it for emergencies. He used it, Salazar's blood, and Rowena's, to make a potion and gave it to your mother, impregnating her. She never knew that you weren't their child. She convinced her it was a sleeping potion to take a way her bad dreams as she slept." 

"Why would Dumbledore do that?" He would never do anything like that. 

"He wanted someone he could control. Like he tried to do to me. Only he had a slightly different goal this time. He hates me more than you can possible imagine. From the moment I entered that school he knew that I was Slytherin's heir and he exploited that. He controlled me, made me open the chamber of secrets all those years ago. He wanted Slytherin's power, and didn't care who died in the process, as long as he wasn't suspected. I eventually broke free, and tried to find proof of what he tried the do. I found it in his journal. He had grown so cocky and arrogant that he didn't even bother to spell the pages. I tried to steal it so I could turn him into the ministry, but he was ahead of me. He found me in his office and I forgot the journal as I ran. He wanted to kill me. I was the only one who knew of his plans. I went into hiding after that. He made me lose everything! Everyone I cared about!" Voldemort cried out. His anguish was clearly shown on his face. It hurt for him to talk of this, but Harry needed to know! 

"I will not obey you!" Tom grunted. His dark eye's glaring at the man. 

"You will. Impirio!" A smile twisted across to old man's face as he watched the young man struggle. 

"Nnn-o!" He clutched his head as he tried ward off the thoughts that weren't his. OBEY ME...LISTEN...the thoughts swirled around his head, penetrating every crevice. "...can't...NO!" 

"Yes!" Dumbledore hissed. He watched the boy in front of him collapse. The heir was his. 

/so His is the voice that I used to hear/ 

"He made me leave everyone I cared about. You mother." He saw Harry's eye's grow wide with shock. 

"She would never have wanted someone like you!" None of this can be true! 

"You never knew her!" Tom snarled, before calming himself. It wasn't his fault. None of this was Harry's fault. "And I was different then... After she graduated she went in search of me. She couldn't have before than. Lily suspected that Dumbledore was somehow involved in my leaving, and bided her time. She caught up to me in France. I didn't think that she would try and find me. I figured that she would believe I had opened the chamber of secrets just like everyone else, but she didn't. Lily loved me that much! Almost a year later, your sister was born." Tom watched Harry's face pale considerably the further he got. The boy seemed to have crumbled into himself, and his eyes had fogged over. His energy slowly dieing as well. 

/What if he's right/ Harry thought. His mind was racing. He remembered so many things, Tom holding him. Being consoled by Dumbledore. Other memories as well. Hidden and unpleasant. A flash of blood-red hair. Woods. The smell of pine. What was real and what was the lie? He didn't notice that Tom pulled him around the desk to the larger chair on the other side. He didn't notice the tears streaming down his cheeks, as he held him. Didn't notice the compassion and pain on Tom's face. Didn't notice... Wait. He said sister... "Sister?" 

"Yes. Nagini. That's why I was worried, terrified, when she proposed. I had hoped that you would resist her. From her frustrations, she has not been successful, I take it." He smiled slightly. "I had only agreed to make the two of you happy. She doesn't know about you." He repositioned Harry to get comfortable before continuing. "Anyway, Lily went out one day for a walk, and never came back, leaving Nagini with me... She seemed perfectly happy before she left. I never knew why she left. I was overcome with rage, in my search for her. I was so sure that someone had stolen my only love from me. Gradually, I started to live up to my reputation for being a killer; I was so desperate to find her. There was no going back for me. It wasn't possible after everything that I had done. I eventually found her in Godric's hollow. With James Potter. 

"I confronted her and she said that she never loved me. My sweet Lily had changed, drastically. Said that she only loved James, and could never have loved me, or my 'spawn'." He spat the offending word out. "I tried to kill him, for stealing my life from me. That bastard who tortured my one true friend for fun. Lily jumped in the way and my spell went through her body, and instead of just killing Potter, she had died and I was left so weak I could hardly move. Black got me out just in time, from the decimated house. We never knew that you where there. Sirius had been told that Pettigrew had been taking care of you. That rat knew that I was coming there to kill Potter. He decided that he would get a larger reward with all the Potters gone and never came to get you that night. Sirius, who was with me that night, confronted him soon after and killed him." Tom sighed before continuing. 

"Years later I found out about you through Severus. Dumbledore had admitted everything to him after my supposed death. He told Severus all about you, gloating. He thought that he had leverage over my trusted friend, but never knew that Severus was still working for me. When he thought I was dead he decided that it would be best to forget about you. You were of no more importance to him than any other child. But, right when he started to suspect that I was still alive he called you to Hogwarts. He tried to bind you to him several times, but they always broke down. Finally, he used a form of the imperious curse. The same one he used on me. It was more taxing to his strength, but stronger. It worked for years before it broke away. Until your fourth year. Most of it dissipated during that confrontation almost two years ago. 

"Only a few lingering thoughts where still under his influence. I realized that there was something about you, I felt it, and I urged Severus to find out for me. You have been acting without the restraints he placed on you since then. Your magic started to show through, your true self. Dumbldore knew about you and Draco. Also, that he knew that Draco's father still works under me. He no longer understood what you were capable of. He couldn't have. You and your friends had become an unknown variable. It was only a matter of time before you found spells that could kill even him, if you chose to do so. You became more than he could control at some point and expelled you and them. Them because they were all under your influence, loyal only to you, and therefore a danger to him. Which brings you to where you are know you are now." 

"Why did you cast a spell on me?" Harry whispered. His eyes were drooping further. 

"I didn't want to watch you struggle with yourself, and the pain. It seemed better at the time. I didn't want for you to have to face all this, and I wanted to take care of you. Like I should have in the first place. I knew that you wouldn't have come with me of your own choice. Then the chance to finally have you was presented to me by Weasly, though in the most undesirable way possible. Still, I can never say how sorry I am..." He spoke softly as he cradled the small boy. 

"Bastard." Harry slowly relaxed as he listened. Nothing seemed real to him anymore. He slowly drifted off to sleep, let his brain shut down. /Draco help me.../ 

Tom watched over his young charge. Before lifting his into his arms and carrying him to his rooms. 

-,---, -,---, -,---, -,---,   
I'm so tired of being here   
suppressed by all of my childish fears   
and if you have to leave   
I wish that you would just leave   
because your presence still lingers here   
and it won't leave me alone 

these wounds won't seem to heal   
this pain is just too real   
there's just too much that time cannot erase 

when you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears   
when you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears   
and I've held your hand through all of these years   
but you still have all of me 

you used to captivate me   
by your resonating light   
but now I'm bound by the life you left behind   
your face, it haunts my once pleasant dreams   
your voice, it chased away all the sanity in me 

these wounds won't seem to heal   
this pain is just too real   
there's just too much that time cannot erase 

when you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears   
when you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears   
and I've held your hand through all of these years   
but you still have all of me 

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone   
and though you're still with me   
I've been alone all along 

My Immortal   
-Evanescence   
-,---, -,---, -,---, -,---, 

* * *

Harry woke alone in his room. 

He wondered where he was before he remembered the night before. So much pain... Old memories were resurfacing. Nothing was right. 

He slowly eased himself off the bed, wondering for a second where Nagini was. Then he remembered that Voldemort had probably told her now, too. /It won't be fun the next time I see her/ he thought, to himself. He was grateful that even if his mind didn't know that his body reacted against everything she tried. /Shit! She is going to be mad/ It would have been bad if he had actually slept with his sister, even if he did think of her that way. Harry shuddered. In fact, he didn't know what to think about her, 

Harry shook his head, to clear his mind, and headed to shower. 

Afterwards, Harry made his way to Voldemort's study. He still needed a question asked, and he needed to find Draco. 

It surprised him how quickly he made it to the study, but, then again, he had learned the castle inside and out, during his last few months. Harry shuddered again, inwardly. 

He found the study empty, when he arrived there. Where could he be? Then he thought about the Dark Mark on his arm. It was so a Deatheater could find their master. Then he would have to use it that way, as well. 

Eventually he found Voldemort in the thrown room. Harry berated himself for not thinking of that earlier. He was usually either in his study or the thrown room. He should have known. 

Harry found him talking to Lucius. They were arguing over Draco. 

"He is my son! I will not allow him to be with that-" 

"Watch what you say, Lucius! It is not your choice to make!" Voldemort glared at the man, daring him to be insubordinate again. 

Lucius just glowered at his lord. But he knew better than to argue further. He was lucky that Voldemort hadn't cast Cruciatus on him yet. Then he saw the boy in one of the mirrors around the thrown, and turned around. Potter. 

"No. He isn't." Lucius jumped at the seemingly random comment. /I hate it when he reads my mind. But what did he mean by it?/ Lucius pondered to himself. 

"It's none of your business, Malfoy. Now leave us." Voldemort shooed him away with the shake of his hand. 

After the door closed Harry moved forward, still not completely comfortable with things. He knew that Voldemort wouldn't hurt him, but there was still too much between them. 

"Harry, you can call me Tom." Harry looked at him sharply in the eye before nodding. 

"And did you read my mind, Tom?" 

"No. Your emotions are clearly written on your face. Besides, I always get a feeling for what people are thinking around me." 

"People? You mean your 'Deatheaters'." 

Tom looked away before agreeing. 

"Why did you make me a Deatheater? Why did you control me?" Harry asked, looking at Vol-Tom's face, searching for an answer. 

"I want to make the transition here easier. By making you a Deatheater, I could watch you more closely. I could feel you emotions that way. I never out-right read your mind though, I care about you too much to do that. Even if it doesn't seem that way. You might not entirely remember what happened to you, but all your memories will return soon." 

"There's something else that you never answered. Why did He choose Ravenclaw and Slytherin? It seems that the most logical choice would be Gryffindor and Salazar. Wasn't Gryffindor know for his bravery and... well, for generally being good?" 

"Dumbledore knew that the Gryffindor and Slytherin temperaments would clash, possibly making you mentally unstable. He could not take that chance. Besides what better to fight a Slytherin than another Slytherin. He also wanted for you to be smart, creative, which was what Rowena had been known for. And honestly, who would want to be related to Hufflepuff?" Voldemort smirked at Harry when the boy gave a tiny laugh. "Sure they are loyal and good and all, but they're a very boring lot. You don't want them in a fight. Now, you were looking for me?" 

"Yes. Where's Draco?" /It's been so long since I've seen him./ "I need to see him." 

"I've been wondering when you would ask. I think Nagini somehow knew to bring them." 

"She said that they were important, before." 

"There're in the room across the hall from yours. I have kept then unconscious until this morning. I thought that they would be easier to deal with once you knew the truth." 

"I won't turn them over to you." Harry replied, still looking a bit reproachful. 

"I don't want you to, Harry. I just want for you to be happy. Go ahead, now. Dinner will be in a couple hours." 

Harry nodded before leaving the room. 

/now, time for Weasley's 'punishment'/ Tom thought slyly. 

* * *

Chapter 9   
Chapter 11 


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 

* * *

"Everything's wrong, here." Draco said from the bed. They had woken up in the dark room in the middle of a large bed. Deatheaters had found them, and Harry had been one of them. 

"I know." Hermione whispered. Her head was resting on his side with Blaise's on her middle. He was still sound asleep. Hermione reached and ran her hand through Blaise's hair, smiling at him. 

"Hmm... the bites are gone." 

"What bites?" 

"Harry... Harry bit him. Continually." She ran he fingers over the smooth skin of his hand. 

"Oh. He's been gone so long, and now that he's back and he isn't right!" He slammed a fist into the soft mattress. 

"Shh! A guard might hear you." She hissed. 

"And what can he do to me that I wouldn't welcome!" Draco hissed back, only more forcefully. 

"Would you just think about us, for once! You still have us! Think about what we would do if we not only lost Harry to Voldemort but you as well. Neither Blaise nor me would be able to stand it!" 

"What if all of you die. What would you do then?" Came a malicious voice behind them. Draco whipped his head around to see who was there. He could faintly make out red hair. /why didn't either of us hear the door?/ 

"Weasly!" 

"Yes, me!" He sneered at Draco, then glanced at Hermione. 

"You know... I don't know what possessed me to ever ask you out. You are totally not my type. And him..." He glanced at Blaise and sneered at the still sleeping boy. 

"You're just figuring this." Hermione glared at Ron. She reached down and shook Blaise awake. He looked around the room, blinking for few seconds, before noticing the boy standing in the doorway. 

"What are you doing here Weasly?" He glared at the boy. Even though he wasn't the closest person to Harry, compared to Draco and Hermione, he still hated him for turning on both Harry and his girlfriend. They both deserved better. 

"What am I doing here?" He smirked. "What are you doing here? You don't even know where you are." /I had better get back before He comes back/ he shivered in a none too pleasant way. /I couldn't pass up this moment/ 

"We're at Riddle Manor, idiot." Draco replied. "I've been here before!" 

"If I'm the idiot then why did your boyfriend leave you, and is now planning to marry Voldemort's daughter." He snickered. 

"No I'm not." Ron turned to see Harry behind him. 

"Huh?" He looked at him dumb-found. 

"Crucio." Ron lay in a heap on the floor, jerking in pain. "Still an idiot." He said glancing at the body, before kicking him sharply in the back. Then he started to look up. But he was stopped when a body collided with his. Draco. 

"Please tell me that you're you. And if you're not please kill me!" Draco sobbed into his shoulder. Harry held him for a second before pulling him away. Draco looked terrified. "Please!" Draco tried to squeeze him again but Harry pressed his lips against his, with an urgency that Draco felt as well. 

"It is me." Draco nodded and kissed him again. 

"You aren't marrying her!" His eyes pleaded with Harry's, that he wouldn't break him again. 

"No." A few seconds later Harry felt set of arms around him. 

"Harry, if you leave like that again, we will kill you. You know that right?" Hermione replied. 

Harry saw Blaise sitting on the bed, staring curiously at the boy silently screaming in pain on the floor and smirked. "Don't think about him. Come over here." He rolled his eyes at his friend. Hermione ended up grabbing his arm and pulling him into the group hug. 

"You know you miss him just as much as we do," she grinned. 

After a minute Harry pulled away, Draco with him. 

"If you don't mind, I want to go talk to Draco for a few minutes. You can roam the castle, if you want to." 

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, before settling down. 

"Yes?" He simply smiled. He knew that it just occurred to her that she had know idea what was going on and it was driving her crazy. 

"'Yes?'" she mocked. "You have a lot of explaining to do. What happened to you! Why did you not know us before but you do now, all of a sudden!" She sat back on the bed, and put her head in her hands, leaving Blaise to go lean on the wall beside the bed. "And would someone turn on the damn lights!" she shouted. 

Harry pressed on a bright green stone on the wall and light filled the room. 

"Thank you." 

"Do you mind, now. Just tell us what happed to you. You can save the rest for later." Blaise crossed his arms and sat on the bed beside his girlfriend, who buried her head in his shoulder. 

"T-Voldemort used a potion on me to make me forget you. Nagini put a spell on me to make me think I loved her." Harry told the occupants of the room. 

Draco just looked puzzled before he quickly pulled Harry out the door. 

"Ok... and what did you want to say to me." He put his arms around Harry's waist, not caring about who may be around. 

"Let's go in here, first." He led Draco through the door across the hall. 

The second he got in the door he slammed Draco against the wall. He continued trailing kisses down his face, and finally to his lips. Draco felt as if Harry was about to suck his soul out, before he managed to pull away. But Harry lowered his head back onto Draco's neck, biting, sucking at the skin. Draco moaned. 

"H-harry..." He nearly forgot what he was going to say when Harry bit harder, before kissing the skin on his ear. "I'm not complaining... b-but, I thought you wanted to talk..." His breath skipped when Harry tugged his shirt over his head. 

"Later." Harry grunted. He jerked Draco back towards him, then groaned when Draco finally managed to pull away. 

He kissed Harry again, lightly, before guiding him to the bed. "No. As much as I want you, I haven't talked to you in months!" He grabbed Harry around the waist and squeezed him. "Though any serious talks can wait." He kissed Harry deeply before continuing. "So, anything new!" he chirped. "I mean since you're not getting married I think I can take anything." 

Harry giggled at his boyfriend's antics. "Just a tattoo," Harry replied. 

"Oh where!" Draco asked eagerly. "I've always wanted to get one." 

Harry pulled up the sleeve to his shirt. Draco's face fell. "Oh." 

"Yeah, 'oh'." Harry sighed. 

"So I guess we do have the serious talk now." Draco cautiously rubbed Harry's wrist. 

"Yeah." 

"Did it hurt?" 

"I can't really remember. I wasn't entirely aware at the time." Draco drew away and sat on his knees. 

"Do you love her?" 

"Huh?" Harry was thrown off buy the sudden twist in the conversation. "Who?" He knew exactly who Draco was talking of. 

"Voldemort's daughter." Draco looked down at his knees, suddenly struck with nervousness. 

"I don't know, but I could never be in love with her. I love you." 

"Are you sure. It seemed easy to forget me." He still didn't look up. 

"I couldn't have completely forgotten you. Something in me never let her to close. I must have thought of you on some level." He leaned up and kissed Draco on the lips, before gently lowering him onto his back. "Besides," he kissed him again, "I don't think I could ever completely forget about you, no matter what spell is placed on me." He kissed him deeper waiting for Draco to respond back. 

Draco pulled away briefly. "So it was a spell?" He asked, out of breath. His knees where starting to ache from being in his odd position beneath Harry. Draco carefully pulled his legs out from under his back, trying to not push Harry off. 

Kiss. "Of course." 

"Ok." Draco slowly unbuttoned Harry's shirt. He reached up and kissed Harry flush on the lips. Then trailed over to his ear, whispering. "Um... Have I told you how much I like these?" He bit onto the earring, tugging slightly. Harry laughed. 

"I feel like doing something wicked to you, Malfoy." And that was the last thing that Harry said for a while. 

* * *

Draco hands ran over Harry's flushed skin. He grinned he Harry's arms tightened around his side, and he nuzzled Draco's neck. He really loved Harry. He loved watching him, to be with him. He sighed as he his fingers reached Harry's hair. He also loved how it curled around his fingers. He noticed that Harry hadn't cut it since he left. /Oh well.../ Draco thought. He liked it a little longer. 

There was a light knock at the door. "Come in," He replied. Then remembered where his was, and that a deatheater might be behind the door. Never mind that if someone wanted to harm them, a door wouldn't have done much to protect them. 

He was mildly surprised when he saw who it was. "Snape." 

"Young mister Malfoy. I do believe that this is the second time that I have caught the two of you in bed, is it not." 

"You don't say. I didn't expect to see you here." 

"Why not. I am a deatheater, after all." He smirked. 

"Yes, but you're loyal to Dumbledore, are you not." He was enjoying this game with his former potions master. 

"No." The slight smile fell. 

/ah. Decided to get serious/ "What happened." He inquired. 

"I will never be loyal to Dumbldore." The statement finalized the conversation. 

Draco nodded. "Why are you here?" 

"Dinner is ready to be served. You two are the only stragglers. Tom wanted for me tell you that. Something any common house elf could have done," Snape muttered. 

"We'll be there." 

"We will be waiting." 

"Yes, yes. Now shoo!" Severus left the room, after making a crude gesture with his hand. 

"Haarry... Haaarry...Ha-" Draco was sharply cut off when he was pulled back onto The-Boy-Who-Lived, lips first. "Mmm... It's dinner time." 

"I heard." He kissed Draco again. He seemed to not be able to get enough of him. Not after their time apart. 

"How long where you awake?" 

"Before you were." He simply replied. His stomach growled suddenly. 

"Food, now." Draco got up and started to get dressed before he remembered that he was in a different room. He stopped to look around; he hadn't had the chance when he first entered. The room was gorgeous. The walls were black and sea green, sort of marbleised, with the borders a light wood colour. The furniture in the room was made of the light wood, though it was not grand, it was still very elegant. The comforter on the bed was black and sea green with a similar marble pattern as the walls and had black sheets. There was also a fireplace on the far side of the room. But he still hadn't found what he was looking for. "Where are your clothes?" 

Harry just lay there under the sheets watching Draco. He licked his lips and continued to stare. 

"What?" Draco asked curiously. 

"I will never tire of you, you know." Draco recognized the look in Harry's eyes. Hunger. 

Draco just smiled. "As much as I would like to get into this again, we have people waiting for us, Harry." 

Harry pouted, before pushing off the sheets. "Are you sure?" He said suggestively, crawling towards him. 

"Harry... don't tease me," Draco groaned softly. He quickly returned to looking for some clean clothes. 

Harry collapsed where he was and sighed. "There in the bureau over there." He pointed to 'over there'. 

"Ah." Draco found them. He tossed some to Harry before getting some for himself. Luckily Harry hadn't gotten any bigger in his time away, and Draco could still fit his clothes. 

"Now, let's go. Don't pout, we're going to dinner. We don't want to leave our friends in Voldemort's presence for to long. He might remember those two little words that he's so fond of," Draco said without turning around. If he saw Harry he might not make it to dinner. 

Harry frowned. "He isn't that bad." Never mind that he had hated Tom himself up until yesterday. 

"Not that bad?" Draco turned and raised an eyebrow at him. Good! Harry was dressed. 

"Really!" Draco nodded, concerned. He put his arm around Harry before opening the door. 

"So. Am I going to be hexed for this?" 

Harry smiled and leaned his head on Draco's shoulder. He lifted it when they started walking down the Hall. Then he felt it. Not that it really hurt. "Hmm. Tom's getting impatient." 

* * *

Hermione glanced up at the head of the table before staring back her plate. Never in a million years would she have thought that she would be eating at the same table as Voldemort. Blaise looked like was going to pass out, if He so much as looked at him. She herself was feeling a bit faint. 

/Harry, where the bloody hell are you!/ Tom growled internally. The room was tense enough that he was surprised that someone hadn't lost it yet. He was surprised when Durmail, who was Harry's personal servant, only brought these two, saying something about stopping to deposit Weasly first. Though he could guess where Harry was. /get in here now.../ He hated feeling uncomfortable. And uncomfortable was the understatement of the evening, compared to how he felt. One of the plates near him had already exploded. Normally he wouldn't let people get to him. For instance, if someone were annoying him he would just curse them. But he didn't want to do anything to upset Harry's friends. Not if he wanted to stay on Harry's good side. 

He, and everyone else in the room, jumped when the doors opened. Harry came in draped over Draco's shoulders. Draco was apparently laughing at something Harry's had said before they entered. Harry pulled him over to Voldemort. Draco instantly paled. 

"Harry..." 

"Relax, Dray." Harry squeezed his hand. "Tom this is Draco Augustus Malfoy, my lover. Draco, this is Tom Riddle." They each gave a slight nod of the head. "Now that the introductions are done, why don't we eat." He smiled, as he sat in the chair closest to Tom, with Draco beside him. 

"Well done Harry. You've managed to stun your friends speechless." Harry looked and saw that it was true. 

"Relax." He said, repeating himself. "There's nothing to be worried about. Now, I'm hungry." He stomach growled in affirmation. They still stared. But after a couple minutes they complied. 

Hermione was the first to speak up. "Harry, do you realize that Voldemort, the man who has wanted to kill you all your life, is the one that you are talking to," she whispered, trying not be heard by said man. 

Tom gave a small laughed, still laced with nervousness. "And you've been sitting here with 'him', if you wouldn't mind me pointing out. I assure you, that I don't want to kill him anymore than you do, my dear." 

"Tom, with your reputation, you scare people easily." Harry replied, softly. For all his bravado concerning Tom, he still was a bit uneasy. He did trust him though. After everything, how could he not. Harry did remember everything that was done to him, after all. 

"I know, Harry. I'm trying not to." He smiled, showing a bit more teeth than needed. "By the way I think I know what's wrong with the young lady here." 

"Oh." Hermione replied, her voice rising towards the end. They had never found out what happened with her magic. 

"I had one of the mediwitches here take a look at you, from afar of course. It wouldn't do if my staff where to become... cataleptic. The theory is that you have absorbed more energy then your body can manage. Muggles, no offence, weren't built to support large quantities of magic. Wizards and witches are literally a different species, in that respect. I take it that you work your magic with these three often." She nodded. "You channelled too much power; you, a muggle, working with three born wizards, one of great magic. You must have spent a great deal of time working with them, for such consequences to have occurred. You would have to be fully a witch to handle it all. Being a first generation witch doesn't matter. One of your parents would have to have been magical, at the very least. Therefore, it caused an imbalance. It negatively affects anyone because it is not their energy, because not many beings do not come in contact to pure power other than there own. Which is why, I'm guessing, it doesn't affect your friends. But, luckily, Severus has found a way to stabilize make your body fully accept it for the time being." 

Her eyes widened. She knew that Snape was a double agent; she just hoped he was one for Dumbledore, even if the man expelled them. But, it seems, her hopes were for naught. 

"Yes, he still works for me. I know that Dumbledore thinks that he follows him. But Severus isn't that stupid. Anyway, he has made a potion. It was rather simple, actually, if anyone had actually looked. It involves mixing the blood of a witch or wizard into it. Although, it will only work if it comes from one of 'them'." 

"Blood!" She looked shocked. "You want me to drink blood!" 

"Don't be so surprised, Mione. Blood has many magical properties." Blaise replied. He hadn't spoken up all evening. He still suspected that it was one of Voldemort's followers that sent his parents to Azkaban. It caused a bit of a grudge. 

"Yes. Yes it does. And it will store the magic, give it someplace to go. I hope that you will try it. If the thought doesn't turn your stomach too much." 

She just nodded, still pale. 

"Well, I'm full." Tom pushed out his chair and stood up. "Harry, can we talk later. Just because I see you as my son, of sorts, does not mean that I'll let you slack off." He smiled slightly. 

"Sure." Harry smiled slightly, as Tom swept out of the hall. 

The room went quiet after he left. 

"So... you call him 'Tom'?" Draco 'subtly' asked. 

"Yes." Harry simply smiled. "If everyone is done, then we can go back to my room and talk." There were various murmur of consent. 

* * *

(from behind the dining hall curtain) 

"EVEN HERE!!! Will I ever win!!! I thought Voldemort would kill Harry if he ever got a hold of him. But No! Even here he is worshiped like the bloody prince of England! He still gets everything his way!" The red head seethed. "And I'm the only one that seems to actually be worse off! 'Voldie's' little fuck toy! And I know that that's the only reason that I'm still alive. He wants to punish me! For betraying the one person that he had wanted to kill, himself, above all others... Am I the only one who sees how evil he is! And now Harry has his memories back and he hasn't even thought of me, not once! I'm the one who is forced to 'take it like a man!' GREAT! Just Great!" He growled silently, not realizing that he had spoken aloud. He stomped of to quickly get back to Voldemort's chambers, less his absence gets noticed. 

* * *

"Did anybody else hear something?" Blaise asked, curiously. Who knew what was behind those curtains. 

"It's Weasly." Harry replied. "He likes to hide. He thinks no one knows he's there, so it's best to just ignore him." He rolled his eyes, sneering. 

"What is Ron doing here?" Hermione asked, watching the bulge in the curtains. 

"Currently? He's playing the role of Tom's sex toy." He said flatly, flashing a vindictive smile. The others at the table were dumb-founded. "Come on." With that he pushed away from the table and marched out the room. 

* * *

(Harry's room) 

They all climbed onto the bed when they got to Harry's room. Both Blaise and Hermione were in awe of the space. It was bigger than the Dursley's whole house. 

"So you like it?" He asked, suddenly shy. What would they think of him staying only a floor away from the Dark Lord himself? 

"It's magnificent." Blaise replied. And he had thought he had a great room at his parent's old house. It didn't even compare. 

"Yes," Hermione followed. "Now why is my ex-boyfriend/your ex-best friend here?" She stared straight into Harry's eyes, daring him to sidetrack them again. 

"Fine." He muttered, rolling eyes, and collapsed on the large bed and waited for his friends to join him. 

(flashback) 

* * *

Chapter 10   
Chapter 12 


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 

* * *

(flashback) 

Ron hovered just under Harry's window on a school issue broom. 

/I told him that I wasn't done and I meant it/ Ron pried open the window. Neither occupants of the room stirred. /good/ He cast a silencing charm on the room before he cast the petrificus charm on them both. The silencing charm was to silence his own words. 

Ron looked through the room for some clothes and found some boxers, and roughly pulled them on the near comatose boy. He sneered while he pulled the boy from under his lover. 

Harry knew everything that was happening to him, he just couldn't do anything about it. 

Ron haphazardly tossed Harry onto the broom and found Harry's map and cloak, before taking off on the broom. 

* * *

/Something is not right here.../ Snape thought to himself. He had been watching Weasly for the past few weeks. 

He had become more secretive. There was always something is his eyes that weren't right, lately. Weasly wasn't the same person that he used to be, by far. Weasly was always a little hot headed, but not entirely stupid. There was a maniacal gleam to his eyes, also knew. In the past, Weasly couldn't be sly to save his life. He now seems to be hiding some great secret. Everything seems have changed. Ever since his severance from the once 'Golden Trio'. Snape knew that something would have to be done about him. 

Then there's Harry's disappearance. /Could Weasly possibly have anything to do with it?/ 

* * *

Ron kept Harry stuffed in his trunk for nearly two weeks, on and off, before he saw Snape leaving to castle, occasionally to 'play' with him. He made sure that Harry would never recover from this punishment. Never. He smiled. /never... ever... ever... never... mever... lever.../ More giggling. He reminisced over the last couple of weeks. Cutting him, beating him. He loved to watch Harry bleed. With the silencing spells on the curtains of his bed they never heard his laughter, as he hurt him. To humiliate him even more he even forced himself into Harry's mouth, who was too immobile to do anything. He had been lucky to catch him unaware. Ron knew very well that Harry was stronger then he could ever be. He had laughed when he felt the boy's body trying to choke on him but couldn't. If Harry wanted a guy, he would give him a guy. He even bet that Harry enjoyed this on some level. It made it all the more better that he could never admit it. The abuse continued, over and over. Beating him, cutting him, using him. Then it was finally time. 

Ron followed Snape from the castle that night. Ron had finally found the perfect punishment for Harry, after all. He would turn him over to Voldemort. He would probably let him leave after he gave him Harry, as a reward. His worst enemy wrapped up and presented to him. Ron cackled. Just to make it even more demeaning he stripped the boy, naked, who had once been his friend, and tied his ankles and wrist. 

He once more tossed Harry over his broom, and followed Snape threw the woods. 

It was unbelievable how much he had grown to hate the boy. He hated him even more than he hated Voldemort. He would even become a death eater, if just to see Harry humiliated, tortured and, finally, then dead. If he had to be a death eater to get his revenge, so be it! 

Snape finally reached a large manor, almost as gigantic as Hogwarts. /finally he will get what was coming to him.../ 

Ron tossed the cloak over them both as he entered. /it wouldn't do to be found before I got this pretty little present to Voldemort!/ 

He followed Snape silently until they came across a large hall. The meeting seemed to be just starting. Then suddenly the Dark Lord himself swept into the room. They all bowed low to him before straitening. Ron was taken back. He wasn't at all what he expected. 

Voldemort had long black hair that swept down to his thighs, and deep blue eyes, tinged with red. He did look slightly reminiscent of Harry, only an older version. His dark robes only accented his pale skin, which seemed to glow. Ron realized that He was speaking. 

"...e's gone?" Voldemort questioned Snape. His eyes bore into the potion masters, demanding answers. 

"Yes. Dumbledore expelled him, along with several others several weeks ago." 

"Why didn't you tell me sooner!?" He stared incredulously at the man. The other death eaters in the room couldn't help but stare. They never saw their leader loose control like this. Voldemort seem to notice them gawking at him. "Dismissed! All except you." He walked closer to Snape. The others fled back to their rightful positions. 

"Now. Answer." He trying to stay calm, but this could be his chance! 

"I didn't want to alert Dumbledore that I still work for you. So I waited till I was summoned. Trust me. I know how important this is to you. I-" 

Before he could say anything else there was a thump. They both turned to see the very boy that they had been discussing sprawled on the floor, unconscious. Both noticed his state of undress, along with ropes on his ankle and wrist. The ropes had burned his skin and there was dried blood caked around them. The rest of him didn't look much better. There was a bruise here, a scratch there. Fluids... He also looked thinner than usual, not having eaten in two weeks. Pale, beaten and broken. 

* * *

Ron had lost him grip on the boy when he tried to adjust him, trying to keep him from falling. He cursed when he knew that the wards wouldn't let him back out. He also knew that it was probably not a good idea to startle the Dark Lord, but that was exactly what he had done. He had been waiting for the right time to present himself and grandly lay his gift before the lord. But no! He has to be clumsy and brought attention to himself early. 

"Show yourself!" He was furious that someone would do this the Him. Whoever was in the room would regret ever being born. He would fucking see to that! Voldemort calmed his breathing as he raced for the boy on the floor. It was all he could do not to just kill everyone in the room. At least that way he would know that whoever else was here would die. But no, that would hurt Harry. And, whoever it was didn't deserve to die so easily. 

Ron dropped the cloak and Snape gasped. /Weasly!/ His eye's litter up in anger. /How dare he hurt his charge!/ 

"You! Explain yourself," Voldemort glared at the blustering boy in front of him. He recognized him. He was Harry's best friend. Ronald Weasly. 

"It's a gift, m-my lord." Ron suddenly wasn't sure that he would make it out of this alive anymore. Instead of praise he felt terror radiating from the tall man. He had better speak quickly. "I wanted you to have him, if you would spare my life." Ron said simply, evenly. He barely felt something trickle down his leg. Ron never felt more terrified in his life. Not even Aragog had scared him so much. 

"Why should I, if you would betray the one person who stood by you." His voice was like acid, penetrating every pore of Ron's being. 

"He doesn't deserve to live. He has become an abomination, surely you would understand." If anything the room just got colder. He was going to die, no doubt about that. 

Voldemort stared at the weasel in front of him, shaking with hate for the person that would so this to Harry. 

Severus wasn't fairing much better. His dark eyes, that were almost always cool, were like ice. He was also mad at himself. He should have watched Harry better, he might have seen this. And where was that dog, Black, when you needed him! He was also supposed to be watching Harry. But instead he had died! As much as he blamed himself, or Black, or anyone else for that matter, it did nothing to lighten his feelings for Weasly. 

"Severus!" Voldemort barked. "Take Weasly to the dungeons; make sure he is not alone. Then meet me in the infirmary." He carried Harry up to the resident mediwitch, Une. Harry felt like nothing in his arms. 

He cried as he looked over Harry's state. Who knows what else Weasly had done to him? While waiting for the witch Voldemort banished the ropes and washed away the blood on his arms and legs. Also the blood and who knows what else in Harry's hair. Bit's of leaves, twigs, dirt, and blood where matted in it. Cleaned the rest of his body. Most of it was covered in cuts, and his ribs showed through his skin. When he was done he covered Harry with the blanket from the bed, to keep him warm. He glanced at the boys face. 

Harry's eyes were open. They had been the whole time. 

Voldemort wept silently as he gazed at the boy. How would he deal with what had been done to him, by his own best friend. Suddenly the idea dawned on him. He knew that rewriting a person's whole life was risky, but he would do it for Harry. Beside, his old memories would still be there, just blocked. He would give him new memories, happier ones. Harry would be loved. 

(end flashback) 

Everyone in the room just stared dully at Harry. Now they knew why being here was so important to him, regardless of Weasly's presence. Voldemort had protected him in his time of need. 

Everyone just sat in silence before Harry laughed, a low almost silent, dark laugh. It sent chill through everyone in the room. "Don't worry. Tom makes sure He gets his punishment." Harry smirked. "I just try and not let it get to me. After all, I think Ron is a bit mental and I prefer having him somewhere where he is watched. I don't want to be changed on his account, guys. So just try and forget it." They all just continued to stare at him. They didn't know how he could take knowing what happened and not doing anything about it. "Besides, he wanted it to hurt me, and I'm not about to give him the satisfaction. And I don't want for you too either." He bent to kiss Draco chastely on the lips and Hermione and Blaise on their cheeks. "Don't worry about me. Now I have to go meet Tom." He chuckled before jumping off the bed. He pulled on a simple black robe before leaving the room. The castle was always a bit drafty at night. 

He barely made it out the door before the tears came. 

* * *

"Tom?" Harry peaked around the door. The man had nearly jumped before he saw that it was only Harry. He had been relaxing on his bed, reading a book. He had started to grab for his wand, but he knew that only Harry and Nagini came in here without warning. He saw the look on Harry's face and knew what had happened. 

"So. You have told them." The boy said nothing, just curled up on the blanket beside the man, sobbing. 

Tom said nothing for several minutes, waiting for Harry's tears to subside. He knew that Harry needing to cry, as he had never had the change to properly grieve. 

"Why did he do it!?" Harry yelled. "He took everything away from me. I was happy!" He rolled over onto his back. 

"Are you not happy here, now?" Tom questioned softly. He knew that he would let Harry leave if he really wanted to go. 

"No. I mean, yes! I-I am." He paused. "It's just that I used to consider him family, my first family since... Well... and..." He trailed off, not knowing where he was going with this. 

"You loved him. Like he was your brother." 

"Yes! Then me and Hermione decided to go have some fun just to ourselves for once, and he just looses it! Why couldn't he understand, everyone else did." Harry laughed, sounding somewhat strangled. "Even Dean made a pass at her. That was funny. Then everything continued to go downhill." 

"He was jealous. You are more than he will ever be. You have the fame, fortune, friends... the power. Simple jealousy. He didn't realize the family that he had. A family that most of our type would kill for." 

"Yes. But I hate him. I never thought that I could hate anyone, to be honest. I didn't even truly hate you." 

"He deserves it, Harry. Don't feel guilty." Harry smiled. He liked Tom. Maybe there was something that he could do for him... 

"I want to help clear your name." Harry said simply, his eyes glittering. 

"What?" Tom stared at him as if he had lost it. 

"I want to do it. To help you. I'm sure that it can be done!" 

"No, it's too dangerous." Harry glared at him. "What?" 

"I think danger is in the description of being a death eater, is it not." He accused him. 

"You were stronger than every one I asked you to fight. Dumbledore, on the other hand, will not hesitate to kill you, now that he knows that you are working with me." Tom said dryly. "No." He would not let Harry do this. It would be putting him right in the middle on the war, once again. 

"Fine," was all that Harry said, while getting off the bed. Tom didn't really believe that he would do nothing, but there wasn't much he would do if Harry really wanted to do this. 

"Harry... if you need any help just tell me. I do still have Severus in Hogwarts. We could work through him." 

"Thank you." Harry smiled slightly before starting to leave. "By the way, where is Weasly?" 

Tom smirked. "Oh, the same. Tied under the bed muttering to himself. I found him wondering around as usual, earlier. Seemed a bit dazed and confused about something." 

After he stopped talking they heard a small voice. "...why me..." it was moaning, it a tiny voice. 

Harry laughed. 

* * *

"So, you're Potter's little bitch now." Lucius said softly. 

"No, father. I think I prefer boyfriend. Or lover. Take your pick." Draco replied back, just as faintly. 

"You know, you used to know your place, son." He said biting on the last word. Draco had apparently gotten the idea that he was his own person. He would just have to dissuade him of that notion. 

"No, you won't." Draco sneered at his father. His father didn't realize that he could be read like a book, if you knew him well enough. 

"What?" 

"I said, 'you won't.'" 

"I know what you said, Draco. What did you mean by it?" 

"And I would rather you didn't call me that, either." 

"What the devil it wrong with you, boy! And what about you're fiancée, that Parkinson girl. She would have made the perfect wife! The family is full of prestige. Not as good as ours, of coarse, but decent. She would have severed your every whim! And if you wanted a boyfriend so badly why not Alexander Nott. At least he comes from a pureblood family!" 

/inbred is more like it/ He sneered at the thought. "Parkinson? Oh didn't I tell you! She tossed herself off the astronomy tower long ago. Back in 5th year." Draco smiled brightly at his father. "Trelawny said something to her one day after class. We found her dead body below the astronomy tower the next day. It's a shame really, I know of couple of boys, even a girl or two, if I'm truthful, that would have loved to go out with her. And I had it on good authority that at least one person in Gryffindor wanted to shag her. Though, I may be saying too much. I have to admit she wasn't horrible, as long as she didn't stalk you, that is. And as for Nott he was found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs.(1) Besides he was twelve. A bit young, don't you think." But Lucius wasn't listening to this last part. 

"A Gryffindor?" Lucius sneered. "I bet that you know this through the litt-" 

"Do you want for Voldemort to kill you, father." Draco interrupted. 

Lucius looked puzzled. "No." He said slowly. Maybe his ill begotten son had less sanity in him than he had previously thought. 

"Than I would suggest that you not talk about Harry that way." Draco replied coolly. "Voldemort seems to be attached to him." 

"I assure you I have noticed." 

"Why." He questioned, his eyes had not wavered. 

"How should I know? Why would our master tell me, a lowly deatheater?" Lucius said mockingly, rolling his eyes upwards. 

"You, dear father, are in his inner circle. And he is not my master. I just want to get some questions answered." Draco said dryly, as if he didn't really care about the words or tone as long as he got his meaning across. 

"Draco." He turned and saw Harry standing behind him in the doorway, smiling. He approached the two, in one of the many offices of the castle. He had been looking for Draco for almost half an hour. Harry wrapped his arms around his lover, kissing him till breathless. 

"You're back." Draco smiled back, hugging him. 

"Of course. I wouldn't have left for long. I've spent enough time anyway, as it is. You can leave now, Lucius." He made a shooing motion with a free hand. 

/why that little brat!/ Lucius stiffened before nodding slightly and leaving. /where does he get off on telling me, the head of the Malfoy family, what to do! That insolent little bastard should be bowing to me!/ he thought while stalking off, looking much like a wooden doll. Harry sniggered. 

"I've been looking for you." He said after the older Malfoy had left. 

"Really?" Draco asked, sounding almost shy. It was rather uncharacteristic of him, but he was still a bit insecure about Harry not remembering him. Draco knew that he had no reason to be but it was important to him. 

"Yes." He squeezed tighter, before allowing the two of them to fall back into the chair behind them. They stayed that way for a while longer, just being comforted by the other. 

* * *

"What's wrong, Blaise?" Hermione asked. They were in much the same position as Harry and Draco. They had returned to their room soon after Harry left, Draco staying behind. But, Blaise still hadn't said a word. 

/do I tell them? I'm sure that he was the one! The one who caused my parents to be imprisoned when I was a child. Made me learn to live without them!/ Blaise thought silently to himself, not realizing that Hermione had spoken. He just buried his face further into her shoulder. 

"Blaise?" She pleaded. She was worried about him. He had been more quiet than usual during dinner, with the exception of the comment on the potion. 

"He did it." 

Huh? Did what? "Who?" was all she asked. 

"Voldemort." was all he said for a second. "I never told you about my parents, have I." 

She didn't need to reply. He was continuing. 

"They were taken away from me when I was seven. But I still remember everything that happened. It was back when Voldemort was still believed to be alive by some people. They researched every means that they thought would defeat him. Including the dark arts. They would let me watch them, when it wasn't anything too gruesome." he smiled, but it was short lived. "They always told me that it was best to be prepared. Better safe than sorry. But one day the ministry arrived, someone had told that they had been practicing the dark arts. But no one could have known. I was shipped to an older cousin, who agreed to take me. That was where I grew up, with the ministry breathing down my neck. 

"The ministry tried to dissuade me from the dark arts immediately, believing that my parents had probably brainwashed me, and had sided with Voldemort. It was then that I started to believe that he could have been the only one who would have wanted my parents out of the picture. He probably would have found out what they were doing through his contacts. 

"I barely remember my parents, now. And I hate him for it. Then I finally find family and friends, happiness, but then one disappears without a trace, which nearly destroyed everything. Then later to appear under Voldemort tutelage. But then I hear Harry's story." He sighs, "I know that Harry is still a little sore with him, not all is forgiven. But Harry also loves him, in a way (1). Grateful that someone wanted to help him after one of the few people he trusted betrayed him. And I wonder who is wrong. Me, for hating him, or Harry for loving him. And if it wasn't Voldemort, than who sent my parents to Azkaban?" 

There is silence for a while before she replies. "I don't know." She didn't have anything to say that would comfort him. So Hermione just continued to hold him. 

* * *

Chapter 11   
Chapter 13 


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 12 

* * *

"I want to know Harry." Draco murmured. 

"What?" 

"What was it like? Being here? Before you knew who you were." 

Harry said nothing. 

"Harry?" 

"I'm sleep." Draco punched him in the arm. 

"Ow!" Harry held his arm to his side, glaring at his lover. 

"Oh, don't look at me like that!" 

Harry continued to glare. 

"I want to know," Draco repeated, pouting at Harry who was still holding his arm. "It didn't hurt that much." He pounced back on Harry, pinning him to the chair, the arm between them. 

"Bi-polar?" Harry raised his eyebrows while trying to adjust their positions. /yes. He is a blond(2)! I don't know anyone who has mood swings like this. Not even Mione.(3)/ He laughed to himself. 

"What?" Draco replied, sounding very British. Harry was laughing at him! 

"Never mind." Harry calmed down before answering. "It was different." 

"Stay on one subject, would you." Draco frowned. 

"Being here. It was different." Harry searched his mind for what to say. "More freedom, for one. Tom has been great, except for the times when I was scared to death of him. But he never hurt me. Never did anything to me outside of training. He helped me with the unforgivables, though I rarely use them." Harry winced. "Painful, I can say. Though satisfying if used in the right manner." 

Draco laughed. 

"What?" Harry asked, puzzled. 

"Piers!" He was almost cackling before he brought himself back to a normal level. 

Harry could only stare. "And... you thought of him why?"(4) 

"I don't know." Draco stared back. 

"You're scaring me, Draco." Harry would have moved away but his boyfriend still had him pinned to the chair. 

"I scare myself sometimes." Draco's silver eyes glittered back before he kissed Harry lightly. "But that's what I love about me." 

"Narcissist." 

Draco pouted. 

"At the rate that you do that, it's going to wear off at some point, you know." 

"It doesn't seem to have stopped having an effect yet." Draco leered. "You still give me whatever I want." 

"Only because I love you." 

"Well I love me to." 

"..." Harry didn't even have to say anything. 

"Ok, I love you too." Draco said reluctantly, rolling his skyward. 

"..." Harry still stared. 

"Really!" Draco started to panic. Maybe Harry didn't believe him. 

He saw the dread on his loves face and decided to give him a break. Besides, his leg was falling asleep. "I know, love. I was just joking." 

"Very funny." He buried his head in Harry's neck before sitting strait up. "I want to go out. All of us!" 

"You want to go out. Now?" 

"Yes, of course now." Draco jumped off of Harry and stood in front of him. "We need a break, Harry. You, me, Blaise and Granger." 

"I thought that you were past calling her that." Harry smirked. 

"I can't help it. I will admit to being her friend, isn't that enough?" He glowered at Harry, daring that he contradict him. 

"Well, it is better than calling her mudblood, so I can't argue. Much." Harry replied. "So, where are we going?" 

"I don't know. We could just look around, find something. We just need to have fun. It's almost Christmas and all any of us can think of is doom and gloom." 

Harry smiled. It wasn't such a bad thing. Everything could wait just a little while longer. 

Harry reached out his hands, letting Draco pull him up. "Let's just go see Tom first. I want to make sure that there's no reason we can't." 

Draco held his hand into his own, smiling. 

* * *

Tom gave them his blessing (along with invisibility cloaks) to leave for the evening. The cloaks were for if they needed to make a fast getaway, Harry having been sighted using Avada Kadavera and all. Even if they were travelling into the muggle area, for safety. 

Harry and Draco walked hand in hand to Blaise and Hermione's room, as Draco was now sharing Harry's. 

"How did it feel?" Draco asked suddenly, upon leaving the room. The room that they had quickly vacated after entering the first time. Apparently Weasly was receiving his punishment. Honestly, he knew that something had to be done about him. But... that was taking it bit to far. Draco shuddered. Eww... Weasly in bed. Not that he didn't like to hear him screaming in terror. But still... 

"What?" 

"To kill someone." 

Harry was silent for a second. "I honestly don't know. I don't really remember." He looked confused. "It's like I know that I killed someone, but I don't really remember being there. I remember casting the killing curse, though." Draco couldn't read Harry face. It was one of the few times that Harry shut him out. He didn't like it. 

"Interesting." Draco stared at the ground in front of him as he walked, trying to figure out what happened. "What was it over, anyway?" 

"It was a group defecting from the Deatheaters. They didn't think that Tom was letting them kill enough of the muggles. He sent me and a few others in the inner circle to stop the uprising. But, with my luck, my mask was torn off by one of the defectors. He yelled that he wanted the world to see what had become of their hero. Now I can't show my face in the wizarding world, anyone would turn me over to the ministry." 

"Harry, there is so much I don't know about you, now. A whole different life." His silver eyes glanced around a bit as they walked, as he hadn't been able to really look around before. 

"No, you're just missing a few minor facts." Harry paused. How to go on? "You know almost everything important. Only other thing is that I have a sister. In fact, that's one reason why I can't, and won't, be with Nagini." 

"Harry, are you saying that Voldemort's pet snake is your sister." /stranger by the second./ "How?" 

"Tom and my mother had an affair. They dated actually. Ran away together. Then they had Nagini. But as far as I know she doesn't know. Either that or she's avoiding me, which is understandable." /speaking of Nagini, I have to talk with her later/ 

The conversation was put on hold when they arrived at the room. Harry knocked on the door. 

"Who is it?" came a tired voice from the other side. 

"Us." 

They heard Hermione's reply and entered the dark room. The only light was from a lamp on the desk. 

"Are you two alright? We wanted to go out tonight, if you're up to it. Draco felt that it was time for some fun." Harry said sombrely. It was hard not to be in the gloomy atmosphere. 

"Maybe later. Just give us about half an hour then come get us." Hermione said. She was still lying on the bed beside Blaise, on top of the covers. He had fallen asleep a little after their talk. "I'll wake it to see if he wants to go. Go ahead and get ready though." Then she smiled, suddenly. "We do need it, don't we?" 

"Well considering that you were just lying here awake in this dark room for who know how long, yes I think so, Granger." Draco teased. 

"Are you even going to call me Hermione?" She raised a dark eyebrow at him. 

"Are you ever going to screw with Blaise?" He narrowly avoided the book thrown at him that had been left on the bedside table. 

"That's none of your business Draco! And besides how do you know we haven't." Her face flushed pink with anger. 

Both Harry and Draco went pale at the thought, on the other hand. 

"I don't want to think about that Mione. Please, I beg of you, don't make me think about that." Harry started turn light green. More of a lime colour, if possible. 

"Honestly woman, there are some things that a person shouldn't know." Draco stared at the girl in front of him, trying to clear his mind of the unwelcome image. 

"Is it only girls that like to think of two guys being together?" she asked with wide eyes. 

They just stared. 

"Well, that was a bit random, wasn't it?" Hermione replied. 

"Yes. Well... going to get dressed now before you get any weirder." Harry pulled Draco out the room and left Hermione to wake Blaise. 

* * *

/I can't believe this! My brother! And father kept this from me all this time. He never told me... I can't believe Severus kept this from me!/ Nagini seethed. 

She hadn't left her room since she was told of the predicament that she was in. 

/and father let my do this! He should have told me before I made a fool of myself./ She clinched her teeth, gnashing them together, before she was forced to calm herself. /it's times like this that I wish that I had never moved in with father after he was brought back./ 

(flashback) 

A small child cries in her bed. Only of about three years old, or so. 

Not a death eater answers her call because they are to busy fleeing the scene before the aurors catch them. Among them was Severus Snape. 

He heard her, though, and tore through the pandemonium to reach the girl. She immediately calmed once in his arms. He knew that he would be the one to take care of her until his master returned. He would not leave her like the others. 

(end flashback) 

He had been like a father to her. Severus had raised her all on his own, and had always put her well-being over his own. He had kept her a secret at his home; servants had watched her while he was away. But I didn't take long for her real father to return. He had loved her just the same, even if she was raised by another. 

And then Harry arrived here. Severus still treated her like his own but he was oddly protective of Harry to. /and now I know why. He was always loyal and protective of anyone in the Riddle line. Not that Harry is really a Riddle. He is a Slytherin as well, though. Snape would be obligated to protect him... Him being my dear younger brother also explains why Snape flinched every time I made a fool of myself, proclaiming love/ 

Arg!! She felt like she was going out of her mind. Nagini had to find a way to make since of everything, it felt like her head was spinning. 

A thought occurred to her. Her and Harry never slept together. /thank Slytherin.../ she shivered. 

* * *

"So what did you think was going on in there?" Harry asked while he buttoned his shirt. 

"I don't know." He glanced at Harry before walking over to his wardrobe. Draco rummaged around before coming around a light grey silk shirt. He tossed it to Harry who just held it and looked at the one he had on. They where the same shirt. Only the one he had on was... black. "You always were black or green or blue. Second thought!" Draco grabbed his wand and turned the one that he already had on a bright red. "T'is the season to be jolly after all!" /I wonder what he's getting me…/ 

Harry looked at Draco like he had grown another head... other than the two he already had. He burst out laughing. 

"What?" Draco shouted looking for some pants for himself. He knew that there was a nice pair of grey slacks in here somewhere, damnit. He had seen them only a minute ago. 

"Nothing." Harry simply smiled while studding himself in the mirror. They had decided to have dinner first, then dancing. They had to find something that would work for both. And hopefully some desert later if he was lucky. 

"You thinking about me, aren't you." Draco had turned around and was smirking at him. He held the pants in his hand along with a black t-shirt. 

"So what if I am?" A smirk plastered on his face as well, emerald eyes glittering. 

/he looks so sexy like that./ Draco thought. Some of Harry's hair had fallen in his eyes, but didn't cover what he was feeling. /Damn./ "Well, you're going to have to wait for later. There's no time now." 

"Then put your pants on." Harry leered for a second before grabbing the brush from the stand. 

He could barely make out Draco muttering behind his back. "I heard that, Dray." 

"Who me?" Harry had to give it to him. He could pull off the innocent act when he wanted to, but Harry knew him too well. 

He just grabbed Draco's hand and led him to the other room. Maybe Blaise was up. 

Just as they got out the door Hermione was leaving their room. She was wearing a dark gold long sleeve shirt, with black skirt. Hermione had also left her hair down. Blaise was closing the door behind her. He wouldn't look Harry in the eye. 

"I'm sorry; I won't be able to go. I've got something I have to do," He said quickly before walking off, hands stuffed in his pockets. 

"Wh-" Harry was cut off when Hermione shook her head. 

"Not now." Harry nodded back. 

"You're coming?" Draco asked. He would worry about Blaise later. He wouldn't do anything stupid without talking to them first. 

"Yeah. Just let me get my wand." She ducked back in for a second. "Let's go." They followed her to the carriage waiting outside. 

* * *

There was a loud bang on the door that startled Tom out of his thoughts. /Who could that be?/ 

It wasn't one of his followers, he could feel it. /Must be one of Harry's friends./ No one else could have gotten into the castle. 

"Enter." The door slammed open to reveal a boy openly glaring at him. 

"I have to speak with you," he said in a low voice. He stayed standing when Tom offered him a chair. 

"What about?" /this could prove to be interesting.../ He lead back in the chair and propped his feet up on and empty space on the bed, his dark hair falling behind him. 

"You don't fool me, you know." He said as calmly as he could. 

"Why would I want to? There's nothing to hide here. I've already spilled all my precious little secrets." 

"Yes, but not all. I came to confront you on behalf of my parents." 

"You're a Zabini." It was not a question. He had been told by Lucius Malfoy how they had plotted against him. He had been grateful when they had been locked away. Until he came across a diary. 

"Yes, and because of you they are in prison." Blaise snipped. His light blue eyes were like ice. 

/Yes, he had his father's eyes and his mother hair./ he thought to himself. "I'm not responsible for your parents. They used to be followers of mine, as it were." 

Blaise smirked. "I could protest that, but I don't doubt it. They always did what was in their best interest, as long as it didn't put me in harm's way. But that doesn't explain why you framed my parents. Although when I think about it you didn't actually frame them, since they were practicing black magic. You simply gave the ministry the information they needed to send my parents away." 

"I told you. I didn't do it." He got up from the chair and began to root around the bookcases for several minutes until he came across a small leather bound book. "This is for you." He ruffled the pages a bit before handing it to Blaise." I haven't thought of this book in years. I was your father's diary. It leads up to the day of their incarceration." 

Blaise looked at it for a second before accepting it. "That should answer at least some of your questions." 

Sceptically, he glanced at Tom before sweeping out the room. 

/let's see where this will lead me/ he sighed, and closed the door behind him. 

Tom shook his head, after the boy left. /why do I get my self into these things.../ At first he became the dark lord in anger, which is not the best of occupations, as amusing as the company may be when they jumped at his command. But it gets old. Maybe Harry is right, he needs to get out of this before it killed him, again. 

It was time to forget the old troubles. And time to start a knew life. Not yet, but soon. 

* * *

/thinks he can put me off that easily./ He clutched the book in his hand while he walked around the castle. He didn't much feel like going back to his room. 

"Trying to convince you that he is the good guy, is he, Zabini?" 

/great. Things can get worse. I wonder if Harry can get Voldemort to toss him out of a window/ 

"Fuck off, Weasly." he shoved past the read head, to continue on his way. 

"He's playing you all, Zabini." He continued to follow behind him. "Making you think he was the one wronged." 

"Shut up. Don't you have something better to do than pester me." 

"No," he said simply. 

"Then go bother someone else. That is, if you aren't to sore." He narrowly avoided it when a fist came out from nowhere. He grabbed the arm that followed and pulled foreword forcibly, causing Ron to fall on his face." I guess being on the bottom after does affect a guys abilities." he didn't mean it but he hated Weasly, it was hard not to taunt he, to resist hurting him. It didn't take much honestly. 

"He will betray you! Harry, not Voldemort." Weasly pulled himself off the floor, trying to keep himself from loosing his temperature again. 

"Do you even listen to yourself talk anymore? You sound absolutely ridiculous." Blaise continued past him. 

"At least 'I'm not listening to someone who got my parents killed." Blaise turned sharply. 

"At least I'm not about to be hit." Blaise said, in an oddly sweet voice. 

"Wh-" He was cut of when Blaise landed a punch on is cheek, almost breaking his nose. Once again he was thrown off balance. 

"Can't you take the hint when it time to leave someone alone." a swift kick hit Weasly's side, the impact cause the air to escape his lungs, almost painfully. "Quit bothering us, Weasel. That's a rather nice nickname, you know, Betrayer is also a good name for you, know that I think about it." he laughed to himself. Blaise admired his handiwork. "Lucky for you Voldemort wasn't after you for your looks. Though I have to admit, this may actually be an improvement. ." he smiled, walking backwards. "Thank you for cheering me up though!" He turned back around, this time humming merrily to himself. 

/they're all psychotic!/ Ron thought to himself, while trying to slowly pick himself up off the ground. 

Ron had found way to get out. The wards would be down when They left. He would sneak out then. It had been stupid of him to waste time taunting Zabini. Afterwards, he would get Dumbledore. The greatest wizard of this century. He would save him surely, he would kill Voldemort. Some power that he must have surly had hidden away. He was the headmaster after all! He just didn't know how insane Potter was when he expelled them. How insane they all were. 

* * *

(a while later) 

Blaise walked around some more still trying to clear his mind. /what was Weasly up to anyway/ he generally stayed out of everyone's way, knowing that anyone in the castle would curse him as so much as look at him. 

He came to a window in one of the passageways and saw the carriage on the side of the building. He smiled to himself as he watched Hermione and the others climb into it. She was so beautiful. Weasly did not deserve to have her. And of course, Harry and Draco stood kissing beside the carriage before getting in. /maybe I should have gone myself/ he thought regretfully. But it was too late. The carriage had taken off already. He was about to turn away to go back when he saw a flash of red hair through another window on the tower to his right. 

/this is getting old/ he sighed to himself before going in that direction. He really should had left with his friends. Instead he was stuck babysitting Weasly for the time being. 

After several minutes he found him. 

Weasly had already been caught. 

"Let go of me!" He was trying to struggle against the arms that held him without harming his already bruised arm. 

"Immobilous." The body abruptly lay limp in Voldemort's arms. "And hello again." He acknowledged Blaise's presence with a nod. 

"How did you find him?" Voldemort had been in the opposite direction and it should have taken him longer to get there. 

"Do you really think that I would let him roam freely? There's a charm on him that alerts me whenever he gets to far away from me. I can't have Dumbledore knowing that Harry has sided with me. His name will just be further tarnish than it has already been. Missed your ride?" 

"Decided not to go. I had something better to do." 

"Questioning me." 

"Wasn't really in the mood to party." he shrugged. 

"You really should read it." 

"I will. Then I will come to my own conclusions." Blaise looked straight into Voldemort's eyes, blue eyes so like his own, only darker, staring back. Voldemort just nodded. He readjusted Weasly, before walking away. 

"It's a wonder I haven't tossed his out the nearest window yet." Voldemort smirked to himself. His thin lips curled up slightly to one side. 

Blaise almost laughed before he caught himself. /read my mind, did you?/ "Why do you keep him around, if he's so much trouble?" 

"He doesn't understand what he's done wrong, you know. Too hot headed to get past the fact that things can't always be the way he wants. Besides, this is a worst punishment then tossing him in a cell." 

"Just wondering, you don't really sleep with him do you?" /I can't really imagine that anyone would want to sleep with him…/ "Just a curiosity." 

"You would like know, wouldn't you..." Voldemort shrugged before turning back. "He's a bit young for my taste, if I'm going to be truthful. Though I must admit that his red hair is rather enticing…" he continued talking as he left, though more to himself then anyone else. 

Blaise just stared after him. Maybe Voldemort was crazier than he thought. 

* * *

Chapter 12   
Chapter 14 


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 

* * *

(exert from the diary of Nathaniel Zabini) 

March 17, 1982 

We made a breakthrough today. We might have found   
a way to defeat Dumbledore. He would never expect it coming.   
But it might fail if Malfoy finds out. 

Malfoy has been a thorn in our sides ever since we   
joined Voldemort. I don't know what vendetta he has against us.   
Or maybe it's just me. But... 

::Ha.:: My son is apparently hungry. He cries loud   
enough to the next house over. He is the reason we do this,   
participating in his war. My wife and I just want it over with. We   
just do our part to ensure that it is over as soon as possible. I   
don't want him to grow up in the middle of a war. For him, we will   
do anything to keep him safe. 

* * *

Dumbledore sat in silence as he watched the remaining students around him, enjoying their dinner. But his mind wasn't really on them. They were on him. Harry. 

He couldn't believe that he had been so blind! He should have tried harder to get him back. /But no, now he's in the arms of his enemy./ He nearly growls to himself in frustration, but manages to hold back. Minerva was watching. 

She didn't understand. She couldn't understand what Slytherin's power meant to him. It would make him truly alive again. Brimming with power, he would be the strongest. HE didn't even no why he craved it so much. He just knew he had to make it his, then perhaps his answer would come. 

His thoughts paused when he noticed that Snape was watching him, as well. He wasn't someone Dumbledore had to worry about. No, he was in his control. His leverage over the potions master kept him in check. Unless he wants his alliances revealed. But on the other hand his spy, the real one, would tell him if Snape were to try something regardless. 

He let his thoughts drift again. He would get his power. And in the mean time he wouldn't let anyone get in his way. /No one will stop me./ 

* * *

The evening started of good enough. First they had dinner, but that was where the first complications started. When they got there they were quickly seated. But as soon as the waiter got to them he immediately flirted with Hermione. 

Harry and Draco were in a good enough mood to play footsie, though Hermione got kicked more than Harry or Draco. She suspected that Draco was doing it on purpose. 

Hermione: Stop it. 

Harry: Sorry. 

Hermione: Quit it. 

Draco: ... 

Hermione: Draco! 

Draco: It's not me! It was him! 

She glared at Draco till he started staring at the fortune cookie in front of him. "Stupid waiter. We've been waiting for an hour while she," he points as Hermione, "has been happily sipping at that danmed soup for the last thirty minutes! How long does I take to drink soup anyway!" 

"Hunger brings out your annoying side." Hermione simply said. 

Once again he was about to kick but he was quelled by a look from Hermione. 

"It's coming now Draco." Harry said smiling at his lovers antics, even if Hermione looked as if she was about to hit back. 

Sure enough the waiter was coming with their food. But then the waiter glared at him and nearly splashed his shrimp curry into his lap. Harry's food was done the same. Draco glared at the waiter's back until he had disappeared through the doors. He then tried to bite into one of the shrimp but found it so rubbery he couldn't chew. In good manners, he swallowed the shrimp whole instead of spitting it out. He then worked on one of the other shrimp with his fork and knife, but to no avail. 

Harry laughed silently to himself, watching his love fight with the shrimp. And losing by the look of it. He decided to take pity on him and made his way through the double-doors that the waiter had gone through. 

Draco and Hermione watched curiously as they came out a while later, Harry smirking and the waiter looking frightened holding two new plates. Harry's food hadn't been much better. He placed the new plate on the table, softly this time, and then took the old ones. His face was as pale as a ghost and his cheeks were flushed red, but he said not a word as he left. 

Harry continued to smirk as he ate his food, not noticing the questioning looks that the others were giving him. 

When he finally looked up Draco blushed and looked down. He couldn't believe that Harry would actually go back there for him. Though, he liked this side of Harry. 

Hermione just smiled while she finished her soup. 

* * *

It was later at the muggle club was where the evening started to turn dire. They were still enjoying themselves, even after dealing with the waiter. They had dance for hours, well past midnight. Whoever wasn't dancing at the time sat and watched the other two, or all three of them moved together on the floor to the techno music. They stayed towards the edge of the room to keep Hermione from touching anyone skin to skin. They succeeded mostly, though a couple sparks were thrown. But no one took notice in the hypnotic lights. 

After a while they sat to take a break. Draco left to get them something to drink, as they were all a bit out of breath. 

Then Hermione noticed Harry looked a distracted. She called his name a few times but it didn't work. 

Harry was thinking to a few minutes ago. He was sure that he heard a few lingering thoughts of Dumbledore's but he wasn't sure. Though he did know that something was going to happen soon, he just didn't know what it was... 

"Harry!" He took notice that Hermione and Draco where both staring at him, trying to get his attention. Draco's hands were on his shoulders, shaking him. 

"What is it?" He pulled out of Draco's grasp as asked, trying to clear his head. 

"'What is it?'!" Draco practically yelled in face, before jumping up. He started to pace before coming back to him. Harry knew something must have been wrong, Draco was really upset. 

"What happened to you?! We spent ten minutes trying to get your attention, then you fainted on us!" Hermione looked just as angry, but also worried as well. Draco noticed the dim blue hazed was around her. But his attention quickly went back to Harry. 

"What?" Then he noticed that they were no longer in the building, but in a quiet alley. "I don't remember what happened! I thought I heard Dumbledore, then nothing." He ran his fingers through his hair as he laid his head on his knees. "Where are we?" 

"Behind the building. We didn't know what else to do when you passed out." After a moment Draco held out a hand to help him up once he looked like could hold his own again. 

"We should get back before someone looks back here." 

"Yes." Harry nodded. 

Draco gave a sharp laugh. "And to think Blaise missed all this fun." 

Harry smiled at his boyfriend, amused. "I thought it was fun." 

"Yes. Fun. Now let's go home." 

Harry just laughed. 

Hermione waited till they were finished with the banter before pulling them to find the carriages. 

* * *

On the ride back Harry slept. 

"What do you think happened?" Draco whispered. He glanced down at the boy lying in his lap. He brushed a few strands out of his face, smiling at him. 

"I don't know. Maybe Dumbledore is up to something." Hermione glanced at Harry. "He looks peaceful. Perfect." 

"Yes." 

"It's too bad he can't always be like that." 

"I don't think he really wants perfection, Granger." He replied, smirking at Hermione. 

She frowned "And why not." She was mildly curious at were this conversation was going. 

"Not perfection. That would bore him. That would be rather boring for most everyone, don't you think." 

"Maybe." Then she smiled teasingly at him. "But I thought the Malfoy's prided themselves on perfection." 

"Well, I am perfect." He replied back smiling. 

"Than why is Harry still interested?" Draco's smile slowly fell and he looked instead towards the window. He felt Harry stir in his lap. 

"I'm still interested because he's perfect for me. He's not at all boring." Draco heard a voice murmur. To prove his point Harry wrapped his arms around the pale boy, even if the positioning was awkward. 

"Harry you're up." Hermione hadn't noticed him move. 

"Yeah. I've only been up for a few seconds." He sat up, still keeping his arms around Draco. His love still hadn't said a word. "We're here." 

Once the carriage stopped Draco pulled away and walked quickly inside. Harry stared after him before talking. 

"You shouldn't have said what you did." He almost glared at his best friend. Now Draco doubted their relationship. Again. 

"I didn't know that he would take it seriously." She looked worried. Hermione really didn't know that he would take it that way. 

"He hasn't been as comfortable with us since we were reunited. But I thought he was fine again." 

She was silent. "I sorry." Hermione could see the pain in his eyes. /he really does love Draco very much.../ 

"It's ok. You didn't realize. I'll talk to him." Before she could say a word Harry treaded down the stairs to find Draco. 

/great! Just great!/ Hermione leaned back into the seat, really wishing that Blaise was here right now. She really felt that she had said the wrong thing this time. She wasn't used to this feeling, like she messed something up. And she had possibly lost Draco's friendship, over a stupid comment. 

* * *

it could happen here today 

Harry raced in the direction that he thought Draco had gone. He couldn't believe that Hermione hadn't thought to what her words could do. She was usually the most sensitive among them. 

and I can't wait to see your face 

He slowed as he started to get out of breath. He had to figure out which way Draco had gone. 

can you hold on while I take hold of myself 

He didn't want for Draco to regret what was between them. He loved him and couldn't loose him. He had to know that. 

you're the little thing, my saving grace   
you're just a little thing, my saving grace 

He heard a sound down one of the hallways to his right. It was just a shuffling sound but he had to be sure. He rounded the corner to find Draco leaning against a wall. He was staring straight ahead, so Harry could see silver tears slowly falling. Draco's face was tense, as if he was trying not to cry. 

it could happen here today 

Harry stood there for a minute, just watching him. For once in a long time he wasn't sure how to handle Draco. 

"I do love you, Harry. I just don't know why you love me. You said I was perfect." 

Harry was startled out of his thoughts when Draco began. Then once again Draco held out a hand for him and he took it, sitting beside him. 

Draco continued. "I'm not. I'm vain, arrogant… full of myself. I rarely think of others. I've even been outright cruel to people. I don't know why you are still with me." 

it could happen here today 

"I don't know why you ask, Draco. You keep me sane. The others help, but it's mainly you. I have to keep going for you. I find you arrogance and vanity amusing. And you can't say you don't care for others. You are always making sure I take care of myself, you worry over the others when they get hurt." he tugged on Draco till he laid down on his lap, his green eyes meeting pure silver. Draco's silver hair fanned out on his pants, contrasting with the dark colour. 

"But you will eventually tire of me." 

He reached down and ran his fingers through Draco's hair. Draco leaned slightly into the hand, closing his eyes. "No, Draco. You are my saving grace."

(-The Cranberries) 

* * *

"You can't keep this up Tom." Snape leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. His hair was tied back out of his face for once. Snape had left the school and apperated as soon as the meal was over. He stared at the man in front of him, who was currently leaning over yet another book, thinking of yet another plan to stop Dumbledore. 

"Don't you think I know that, Severus?" He let his frustration show, closing the book noisily. He got up and paced the room. 

"He won't keep waiting for you to make the first move. We have to stop him before he hurt's more people." He stopped for a second, to watch his friend pace across the floor for a few seconds. "You know, you're going where a hole in the floor if you keep this pacing like that. I can already see a hole in the carpet appearing." 

Tom stopped. He looked at Severus and smirked. Just to annoy him he started to pace in a semi-circle around him. 

"Oh, yes. Very mature for the Dark Lord of Europe." He rolled his eyes upwards. 

Tom stopped. "Just Europe?! I thought I was the worst think to hit the world since Grindelwald." He frowned. 

"Glad you can laugh about it. Yours wasn't the only reputation that was dragged through the mud by this. Some have even died, like Sirius." 

"Don't you think I know this?" This time Tom's voice was biting instead of playful. "I am trying the best that I can. I know have to do this." His face was serious again, almost impassive. 

Severus pushed himself of the wall and sat on the desk, leaning over the book as well. "You don't have to worry about showing that you're worried. I can always tell, no matter how hard you try to hide it." 

Tom looked up. "Now are YOU reading my mind?" The smile almost came back. 

"I don't have to. I know you entirely too well." 

/he is beautiful, if you take the time to notice/ he thought as he felt a few strands of Severus' hair that had came loose from the tie with his fingers. Soft. Much softer than Weasly's. Tom looked up at Severus. The dark colour rarely gave much away, but he could see the affection there. "Tell me why we never got together." He twirled the hairs between his fingers. 

"We would annoy the heck out of each other before one day was over and we're too much alike. That and you still love your dead girlfriend." He deadpanned. 

"You know the only reason that I don't take offence to that comment is because you're my best friend." 

"Yes, I know." Severus leaned back again, his hair pulling out of Tom's fingers. "They're back." 

"You're right." He sighed. "By the way, have you come up with anything for Granger?" Tom leaned back in the chair, placing his hands behind his head, pulling his own dark hair away from his face as he did. 

"Matter of fact, I have. But it needs to be tested." 

"Use Lucius." He closed his eyes as he spoke. "He's been acting suspicious lately. Have you noticed?" 

"Lately? Are you blind?" Severus' eyebrow rose. "He's been acting suspicious for years, Tom. This is nothing new." 

His eyes opened, genuinely looking surprised, but he waited a moment before speaking. But his voice was almost as cold as most thought it to be. "More reason to use him." 

"And if Granger kills him? She would not like that, no matter how much she dislikes him. And would you want to risk him dead, if his suspicious actions were to be nothing." 

"I don't know if can take the chance that he is working for Dumbledore, Severus." 

"I'll do it." Severus nodded before leaving Tom to his thoughts. 

* * *

"So this is him." 

Harry looked him from where his love had fallen asleep in his lap. He was still sitting in the corridor of the castle. He saw Nagini staring impassively at them, her hold her arms around herself. "Hello Nagini." 

"That's all you have to say to me?" /please say something, Harry! I don't know what I'm doing here.../ 

"What else am I supposed to say!?" He was closed to shouting in frustration, but Draco was still sleeping. Nagi didn't deserve it, anyway. She hadn't known that they were related. 

"I don't know." She said quietly, then stood there for a minute, just watching them. 

"I suppose now you know?" 

"Yes. Father told me. I should call you brother, rather than lover now, shouldn't I?" 

"Unless you want me to shun my only love, and live out the rest of my life miserable." She cracked a smile at that. 

"No, we can't have that, now can we." /I almost wish we could.../ 

"No." Harry continued to stroke Draco's hair, even as he spoke. He really hated to wake him, but they couldn't sleep in the middle of the hallway. 

"So, what do we do about this? Do we go through the awkward stage where we don't know how to act around each other, or do we just forget." 

/will you be able to forget?/ "I've already forgotten, not to be cruel," he added when he saw the hurt look on her face before she managed to hide it. 

"You're never intentionally cruel, are you?" Nagini sighed to herself, sounding bitter. "Well, I don't know what you want, but I would rather just forget that this ever happened!" Sometime while talking Nagini had broken down and fell on her knees in front of Harry, her red hair falling in front of her face. She had loved Harry so much, no matter how she wanted to deny it. She also wanted to forget desperately, angry that this affected her so much. 

"I do love you, Nagi. But I won't allow myself to hurt Draco. So it would be best to forget." He wanted very badly to go to her, his sister, but that would mean leaving Draco, alone. 

Her face hardened, as the tear stopped flowing. /...I am stronger than this...but I don't want to.../ She pulled herself off the floor. "I understand, Harry." She left as quickly as she had come, as to not allow herself to turn back. 

Draco had been watching the whole time, not knowing what to think about what he saw. 

* * *

Lucius was in deep thought, he had to find a way to get the information to his 'stooge'. But he was being watched by everyone. 

* * *

  
(later that day) 

Snape had informed Hermione that the potion was ready to be tested. The others were sitting against the walls on the floor watching what would happen. Draco, and Hermione still weren't talking, but Harry convinced him to come along. They, with the exception of Draco, where talking about what had happened yesterday, while Snape found Lucius, to be the "guinea pig" of their little experiment. 

"... but why did you hear him just them? I thought that his connection to you was severed." Blaise asked, as being the only one who had been absent at the time. 

"Don't know. It just happened. Everything was normal, but then I heard him again." 

Hermione thought before replying. "He's probably up to something, Harry." 

"'He's probably up to something, Harry.'" Draco muttered, sneering. "No duh, and you're supposed to be the smart one. Of course he's up to something!" 

"Well, I'm sorry for trying to help!" She knew that she had messed up but she was angry as well. 

"You should be. Your helping has done enough!" His silver eyes flashed as he turned away, still at Harry's side. 

"I take it I've missed something." Blaise asked, puzzled at their behaviour. This was unlike them. He hadn't seen them argue in over a year. Even before they became friends they were never directly spiteful to one another. 

"A certain someone said a certain something that she shouldn't have." He spat at her. 

"Oh now you're being even more immature than usual! You know, I real-" She was cut off when she found she couldn't speak her voice was gone. Harry was holding out his wand. It didn't really hurt her any, but it stung a little that Harry would do that to her and not Draco. 

"Hermione, Draco, quiet. Please." He really didn't know how else to handle the situation, but he had to end it before they were at each others throats. Hermione glared at the both of them. Draco just leered at her, happy that Harry seemed to be taking his side. Blaise watched the whole thing, bemused. 

"It was a stupid argument they had-" 

"Stupid!" Draco exclaimed. 

"Draco, be quiet before I silence you, as well." Draco rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything more. 

"Hermione accidentally questioned my love for Draco. Now they won't speak to each other." 

Blaise just sat there for a minute before replying. "I can understand, but could you please take the spell off of my girlfriend now." 

Harry grinned before obliging him. Hermione glowered, but didn't say anything. 

In that moment the door opened and Snape entered, with Lucius in tow. 

"I hope that you were all behaving yourselves." He said as Lucius found his own seat, trying to not look like he was sulking. He was not succeeding. 

"Of course not. It just wouldn't be us." Harry said bluntly. "Just another event in this odd amusement park." 

"You are a very unusual person, Potter." Snape replied under a raised eyebrow. 

"Potter? I would think that you would know better." Harry was almost smiling again. 

"Whatever, as there is nothing else to call you, now is there? Potter." The last word was pointed. 

"Well, you could just call him the-idiot-boy-who-would-not-die." Lucius injected, attempting for all the world to look bored. 

/he should be calling himself the idiot.../ Harry thought. "Well, Snape can call me Harry and you can call me master, for all I care." Harry rolled his eyes and leaned into Draco, who was trying to not laugh out loud. Then he decided to hell with it and let out a full laugh, much to his father horrification. 

"Aw.. Draco. Even if he's my master, at least I'm not his concubine." He said evilly, his silver eyes glittering. /I've got him now.../ 

"But dear father, I would love to be his concubine! As long as he gets to be mine from time to time I don't have any problems with it." He replied, completely unabashed. His father paled considerably. 

Hermione found herself smiling at his joke, before she remembered what he had said to her earlier. Then again Draco was probably being completely serious about being Harry's concubine. 

Snape just sat there in silence, shocked. He hadn't thought that the boy would feel so easy around him. "Really? You don't have a problem with me calling you 'Harry'?" 

He simply smiled back. "Of course! It's better then calling me brat anyway." 

Snape couldn't help it, he felt himself smiling back. "Than I would be obliged if you would call me Severus." 

"And I would be obliged if you would kindly suck m-" Lucius was abruptly quieted, when a silencing spell was sent his way. It came from his son. 

"Really, father! And people wonder where I got my mouth from." Draco said, indignation written all over his face. 

"But I like your mouth, Draco! Especially what you can do with it." Harry exclaimed. He was enjoying watching Lucius trying to scream in horror, but was heard by none. 

"We really are an odd group, aren't we?" Blaise had finally found his voice again out of nowhere. 

"Yes, but we're a merry little odd group." Harry beamed. 

/you're an insane little odd group/ Lucius thought to himself, having given up trying to talk. 

"Are we going to get started, or are we going to continue chattering around aimlessly." Snape asked, trying to not laugh himself. 

"Sure, Severus." /Severus/ Harry enjoyed saying to name. It was something that had never passed through his lips before. 

Severus nodded to him, satisfied. "Granger, are we to get started?" 

"Coming." She stripped off her jacket that she had been wearing in the castle. There was no need for any gloves, there. 

* * *

Chapter 13   
Chapter 15 


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 

* * *

"Well, that was amusing." Draco stated. He walked hand in hand with Harry right beside Hermione. He had to forgive anyone who could do that to his father. Almost anyone, at least. He would at least respect them. 

Blaise smiled. "Yes. It was." 

After the rather odd argument was over, Severus gave her the first of several potions that he had made. Not saying anything of Snape's abilities, the first failed to do the task. And the second, and the third. Several potions later, and a nearly unconscious Malfoy (there was a spell on him to prevent him from becoming completely comatose), they finally found the right potion. Not that anyone was actually upset. 

It was a relief on Hermione. While she didn't feel quite as powerful as before, she could still feel it there. But now she couldn't unwillingly hurt anyone. Hermione was just grateful that her body had accepted Harry's, Draco's, and Blaise's power, instead of killing her. She had also realized that she most likely would never have reached the power level that she was at without them. It was also a relief to know that they would not be easily taken down, she know knew what kind of power they truly possessed. They would need it when the time came to fight Dumbledore. 

"Thank you, Draco. I'm glad that I could amuse you." Though the words sounded harsh, the tone wasn't. She didn't have a problem that Draco would forgive her. 

They continued to laugh until a flash of long blond hair came around the corner. They stood stock still for a second, thinking that somehow Lucius had managed to draw up the strength to get up and find them without Severus' knowledge. 

But no. It was his wife. Narcissa. 

All of them almost toppled over once they got over the shock. 

"Well, well, well. So you are the ones who managed to bring my husband down a notch." She smirked down at then. It seemed that Draco got more from his mother than his father, who's smirk was more hateful than then humorous mocking of his mother's. Though his height obviously came from his father. While Draco still wasn't exactly tall, he was a couple of inches above both Harry and his mother, though his build was closer to his mother's. He had also gained the same grey colour of her eyes while the father's had been closer to hazel. 

Once Draco had recovered he ran to his mother, squeezing her tight. She held him for a second before teasingly pushing him away. "Be careful, Draco! This dress is brand new and I won't have it wrinkled." She said in a tone that almost sounded conceited, but then she couldn't keep a straight face and broke out into a smile. 

"Of course, mother." He laughed off her tone easily, knowing his mother well. He was caught of guard yet again when his mother waltzed right up to his lover then hugged him close. It was almost unheard of for her to show affection for any one else then him, and he was very nearly jealous. So call him spoiled, for wanting his mother all to himself for one moment. He couldn't be blamed for a moment of selfishness. 

His mother, of course, caught the pout that had spread across his face. "Draco..." She pulled him into the hug as well. 

Blaise and Hermione held back and watched the strange scene unfold. /group hug/ Hermione's mind stated. She was tempted to join in, if she was going to be truthful. 

The three finally released each of, then after a moment of silence giggling was heard, though they were trying hard to stop. 

"Mother, if you could stop laughing for a second, I would like for you to meet my boyfriend, the famous Harry Potter." He started laughing again when his lover scowled up at him. "I mean the adorable Harry Potter." The scowl did not lessen. "Well it's true." He pulled him close and kissed him lightly on the lips, mindful that his mother was still there. "Besides, I could have called you The-Boy-Who-Lived. Besides you are adorable at times, I admit." He continued talking and sometimes kissing him while his mother sidled up between Hermione and Blaise. 

"Are they always like that?" She was rewarded with another slight jump. They had been too busy watching Harry and Draco. 

"Um." Hermione fiddled with her words, trying to find the right thing to say. What do you say to your friend's mother, who you haven't met, about his relationship with his male lover? "I think so, madam." She added the last part on afterthought. 

Narcissa just laughed it off. "Don't call me madam; I assure you I'm not old yet." And it was true; she could have been Draco's older sister, she was aging well enough. Then she decided to get serious as the laughter died down. "I came to pick up my dear husband. He fire-talked with me a little while ago. Lucius said he was hurt and he needed to come home quickly." She looked like she would have rolled her eye, exasperated, if it hadn't been completely unseemly of the would-be lady. Even with her joking she had to keep up appearances. 

Draco could sense that things were starting to get serious and stopped his ministrations on Harry. 

"And it would be nice of you to introduce your friends to me, instead of leaving it in their hands. I really thought I taught you better, Draco." 

Draco, on the other hand, did role his eyes. But the gesture was kept good natured. "Yes, mother. This is Hermione, Blaise, and the pretty one is Harry." Harry simply crossed his arms and glanced at the wall to the side. /he's so cute when he's embarrassed/ Draco beamed. He had been feeling better ever since he talked with Harry, even with Her interrupting their moment. He couldn't believe that he had even thought that Harry would leave him for Voldemort's daughter. He knew that he was probably being a little unfair towards Harry's sister, but he had right to be angry at her. But still, maybe he could use her name. Possibly. After all she was kind of his family too, in a warped kind of way. 

In his thoughts, Draco missed that his mother had finished the introductions on her own. 

"I must fetch my husband, now. I was told that he was in trouble and if I didn't come get him while he was unconsious he would be put in the dungeons. I don't knew I Severus was serious when he said that or not, but I'm not taking that chances. Lucius would never forgive he if he had to sleep on a stone floor. I just need to put him on bed rest and make sure that he stays. Which, I assure you, is not easy. He always manages to slips away when you least expect it." 

They watched as she left, but a darker look had crossed over all of their faces at some point while she had been talking. Lucius had most likely been leaving to tell Dumbledore the information he had siphoned off Tom. And his own wife had never suspected what he had been doing. 

Draco realized, as they were standing there, what had happened. Lucius had tricked her into introducing him to Tom, then got himself initiated. And afterwards he then got himself into the inner circle. 

He wouldn't let that bastard, hurt his mother. He ran away from the others to catch up to her before it was too late. 

But he was. 

* * *

He came just in time to see Lucius place a binding charm on his mother. He then shoved his way past them, forcing Draco down on the old stone floor as he ran. He darted towards the closest window and threw himself over the ledge, barely making it, due to the injuries he had sustained a short while ago. 

As he toppled over the steep roof he heard footsteps as the others ran down the hallway. They were only a few seconds behind Draco, but still, they were too late, as Lucius fell over the crowning of the mansion. 

They had expected to hear his body hit the ground, as they pulled each other over the ledge to chase down the traitor. But as they got to the edge, they saw, they saw nothing. Lucius had vanished. 

Harry was the first to pull himself from the self-induced shock and ran back up the roof, carefully, as to not fall. 

Once back over the ledge, raced as quickly as he could to find Tom. He even tried to think at him, yelling at him to not be so nice for once, JUST THIS ONCE, and look into his thoughts. 

As Harry ran up the roof, he failed to hear Draco's steps, as he ran close behind him. But then instead of following Harry, he ran as fast as he could back to the room holding his mother. 

After standing for a moment more, staring over the roof hoping to get a glimpse of Lucius, Hermione and Blaise made their way to find out what had happened to Snape. Why had no-one been watching Lucius in the first place? 

* * *

Draco knelt beside his mother before performing "finite incantatum". He then watched as her pale face regained some of its colour and then waited until she had started to breath again. She said nothing. Narcissa just stared ahead from the arm-chair that Draco had placed her on. 

Silently, he watched her for several minutes more, unsure whether he should hold her or leave her be. 

His thoughts were put to a stop when she finally spoke. But, it was a whisper he barely heard. 

"I am a fool aren't I?" 

Draco thought to say something, he then thought against it. Then wasn't much he could say, very likely that would make any difference. 

"I know I am, Draco. So do not tell me any different," he voice stayed a cold whisper. 

Draco was almost afraid that if he took even a step forward that the calm would break. He couldn't imagine what his mother would do if that happened. Tears probably. He had never seen his mother cry, neither was it something he had ever desired to witness. She had always been very proud, though occasionally giving in to displays of affection from her son. He had been truly shocked when she had been so open with the others. 

Narcissa was lost in thought as well. She felt as if her pride had been hurt, by Lucius. Her own husband had betrayed her, had tricked her into getting him initiated. Now his betrayal of everything she held dear was on her head. Yes, Voldemort had been more lenient with most of his followers, since Harry had been inducted but he would not easily forgive betrayal. 

Though, things had really been different, lately. You could almost say that his humanity had returned to him. Everyone, almost, was happier. Voldemort had been less forceful to his allies. Before, the people, who had started out as his friends, begun to genuinely fear him. But that was all in the past. Or so it seemed, recently... 

Narcissa began to shiver, with fear. 

Draco watched his mother for a few minutes more before he had had enough. /to hell with it/ he though, as he swiftly got to his feet. He would not watch his mother hurt. He had had enough of doing the same with Harry, and would not do it again. 

"Draco?" his mother nearly exclaimed, in surprise as he held her, like he was the parent and her the child. 

"Everything will be fine," he said quietly. "Everything will be fine. Lucius will be caught." /He is not my father./ he thought as he held his mother close to him. 

* * *

Blaise and Hermione were both out of breath when they found Severus. Nagini had gotten to him moments before they had and busied herself with untying the unconscious man. 

"What are you doing here," Blaise questioned sharply. He didn't think he would ever be able to forgive the daughter of the man who possibly sentenced his parents. Or the woman who had tried to seduced his friend when he was already taken; resorting to spells when he couldn't some willingly. 

"I heard the call. My father is calling to everyone connected to him. I found Severus first." she sneered at him, affronted that he didn't even belong there would question her about being in her own home. 

"What happened to him," Hermione came forward and helped with the rope. 

"What do you think happened." she glared at the girl working beside her on the rope she then dropped it when she saw that the girl wasn't paying attention and it was useless. "Lucius most likely. To keep from being caught right away." 

As they got off the last of the rope Nagini pilled out her wand. To undo then charms on him. 

"Why didn't you do that in the first place," Blaise questioned. 

Nagini ignored him and used it to wake Snape. 

Severus woke with a start, his unbound hair obscuring his face as he panted, to get his breathe back. He started to push himself up, but he was too weak and collapsed under his own weight. Nagini caught him. 

"He got away." he whispered shallowly. 

"Yes." 

He simply nodded. "Get me to Tom." Nagini tried to walk, partially supporting his weight, but it was still too much for her. After a second Blaise stepped forward, helping support his former head of house. 

Hermione trailed behind, watching for further danger. 

* * *

  
(later that day) 

Tom paced the room in the infirmary. 

After Harry had alerted him, leaped at him is more like it, he had alerted everyone on the grounds to be alerted of Lucius' escape. Harry had quickly left afterwards to see to his lover. Apparently he was having problems of his own concerning his mother. 

A few minutes later his daughter had showed up in his rooms. Nagini had taken Severus to the hospice after his encounter with Lucius. 

(Flashback) 

Severus had been watching clearing away the potions, as some of them could be considered poison if mixed wrong. He had turned his back on Lucius for a moment, thinking the men had been completely dead to the world. His imprisonment could wait for a moment. 

But then in the moment's carelessness he failed to hear Lucius move behind him. Before he knew it he felt roped wind around his body as Lucius spoke a charm. His wand. /damn it!/ he silently cursed to himself. But before his thoughts could continue any further he felt a vial being forced to his lips. Severus immediately felt weakened, his mind turned to sludge. /...atropine.../ It had been the deadly nightshade. 

* * *

As Snape's mind drifted, Lucius sent a message to his wife through the fireplace in the room. He signed Snape's signature to the note. 

/damn Voldemort and his paranoia/ Lucius thought. It was that paranoia that was what kept Lucius from leaving through floo. But Voldemort never had it fixed so that post could not come in. 

As he sent the message to his wife, he cackled with glee. She would believe that it was from Snape, no doubt. He had her wrapped completely around his thumb. She wouldn't know what to do if he wasn't around. /well, good riddance/ he could most defiantly do much better than that half-witted veela-wanna-be. 

Lucius silently limped from the room to the infirmary ward. Luckily the castle was vast enough that you could easily move around and not run into another soul. 

Now he just had to wait for his "dear wife" to show up. Then he would be on his way. 

(end flashback) 

Tom watched over Severus for hours. He wasn't showing signs of getting better, no matter what potions were forced down his throat. Though, because of those same potions Severus hadn't died within the first hour. Aside from a few moments, he was practically catatonic. He already pale skin now had a translucent glow to it. His body appeared to wasting away by the hour as Tom sat by his bedside. The occasional wince showed on the otherwise immobile face. 

That face looked melancholy as usual. He had yet to find out what made him have such a lonely feel about him. Maybe it was war; it had taken its toll on everyone. Severus more than most. 

Tom sighed. He would kill that bastard for what he did! He would be out there searching himself, but he knew that that would only make it easier to find him. It would also put everyone in further danger. He hoped that Malfoy hadn't taken the information to Dumbledore. Hopefully, he would be too proud to have completely sided with him. 

As Tom gazed at Severus he felt something. It was odd, something he hadn't felt in years, since Lily. Then he realized that it was his heart breaking, for the second time in his life. His heart hurt from watching Severus in pain. 

* * *

  
(Days Later) 

"Lucius seems the have completely disappeared," Tom stated. They were all longing around the library, trying to some up with a plan. Tom had pulled a chair from one of the desk to the window, initially so he could research what was killing Severus. But he had found himself staring out the window, lost in thought. " I had susptected that he would betray me, just not this soon," he muttered to himself. 

"Tom. I want for me and Hermione to go back." He jerked his head around and saw that Harry had crept closer while he was distracted. 

"Why!?" he stared in Harry's eyes to see if by any chance he was regretting his decision to be there with him. All he saw staring back at him was eyes full of determination. /It's times like this I wonder if he really is related to Gryffindor.../ 

"No, no! I'm not saying I that I want to leave." Harry said quickly when he saw Tom panic. "We could convince Dumbledore that we have 'seen the error of our ways'." Harry's green eyes rolled heavenward as he said the last part. 

/...and then he comes up with something entirely Slytherin./ 

"He might not know the trust about me, that I know that I don't have any Gryffindor or muggle ancestry, which is why Draco and Blaise can't go. Being that they are both Slytherin and pureblood." he turned his head to give Draco an apologetic smile. The boy continued to lounge on the couch; he had just lifted his head from the cushion. "If he thinks that I still think that he might trust me." 

"You're going to get yourself hurt." 

Harry grinned slightly. He could tell that Draco was more worried than he showed. 

Now Draco forced himself from the plush sofa. "Don't grin at me, damn it! Did you hear me! You are going to get hurt! Think about it! The second you get there Dumbledore is going to suspect something! Anything could happen, and I wouldn't know until it's too late." Draco began rapidly pacing the carpet, as the panic swept in. "You can't leave me here! Don't you think it would drive me even more crazy with worry with you gone? Harry!" He was cut off as Harry took him into his arms, holding him close to his chest. "I can't let you go back there, Harry." he mumbled. 

"Shh..." Harry just held on to him for a few more moments. "You'll be ok with me gone. I'm more worried about how I'll be without you. This would be the smartest thing to do. And with me there, he'll stop searching for the rest of you." 

"Why can't Hermione just go?" 

Hermione almost glared at the boy, but he was in enough pain as it was. "We need as many as we can to watch him, but Dumbledore wouldn't trust you two. We can convince Dumbledore that some of his brainwashing is still in effect and that I had aloud myself to be misled." 

"Are you sure your love wouldn't take the plan just as badly, Miss Granger," Tom spoke, then returned to his gazing out the window. "And where is he by the way, if you don't mind me asking?" Though he didn't sound like he really cared at the moment. 

"We've already talked about it. Blaise didn't like it, but he agreed." she watched Tom closely trying to find what was bothering him. She didn't think that Snape being in the infirmary could be affecting him that much. Not if they were merely friends, but she hadn't seen any real evidence that said that they were anything more than that. "And he said he was busy." 

"What's wrong with him?" Harry asked. "It's like he's been avoiding us a while." He still had Draco in his arms, with the boy trying to manoeuvre them back to the coach. 

"He hasn't been actually avoiding us." she nervously glanced at Tom. "He said he really needed be by himself. When I asked, Blaise said he was fine. He said that he was actually feeling better than he had in a while." 

Harry smiled. "Then it's agreed that we are going." He watched Draco for a second before he slightly nodded. 

Draco, Harry, and Hermione all moved to go out the door when Harry heard Tom calling him. He stopped and turned his head. 

"Be careful." 

Harry grinned at him, then moved quickly to join his friends and get ready to go back. 

* * *

Chapter 14   
Chapter 16 


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 

* * *

(exert from the diary of Nathaniel Zabini) 

January 29, 1982 

I think it's going to happen soon... whatever that's   
going to happen. I don't know what the future holds for my   
family. I just know that I have to protect them no matter the   
cost. 

(flashback) 

Voldemort had warned then that there was a spy among them. They had yet to find out who, but Nathaniel suspected that it's Malfoy. He refused to believe that that man is sane. 

Nathaniel was invited to stay a week in Malfoy manor; though he was not was sure what Malfoy's purpose was. Most likely trying to suck up to him, as he had been doing heavily for awhile now. Lucius was most definitely up to something. He had told Nathaniel that they had to stick together, as they were both from prominent pureblood families. But, unfortunately for him, Nathaniel was having a hard time believing any words that came out of his mouth, as they were all most likely poisoned. 

And it was that night Nathaniel saw something he had never wanted to see again. 

He was restless; couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong, as he rose from bed in one of the many guestrooms of the mansion. Nathaniel decided that it couldn't hurt to take a small walk around the floor; at least until he was able to bring himself to sleep. 

But then he heard a small cry coming from one of the rooms. Nathaniel followed his curiosity, despite my usual good senses. But, perhaps it was for the better. 

He crept closer to where the sound was coming from. It was the room of Lucius' son, Draco. The door was pushed slightly open and as he peeked around the corner he saw the man holding a knife to his-two year old son. He was currently carving along his side, crossing another gash that was already there. There were deep cuts all over the child's nude body. To the point that his entire body held a red sheen, due to being covered in the blood. 

But it was the son who drew his attention. Draco's eyes were oddly intelligent, almost too smart for a toddler's. He knew that his father had meant to cause him pain. Lucius just grinned softly at him as the babe cried. 

Lucius turned as Nathaniel gave a gasp of surprise. He didn't even pretend to look surprised that he was there. Then Nathaniel saw that he had been filling a vial with the blood that was still flowing, starting to stain the blanket below him. 

"I knew that you would find your way here, Nathan." He grinned, was just as evil as when he had sliced his son. 

"What are you doing, Malfoy!" Even if he wasn't his son Nathaniel felt my anger grow at the thought that he could hurt a child. There was no saying if this was the first time this had been done. 

"I would like for you to join me, Nathan." he turned and put the cap on the full vial. "There is power in blood, you know. It is the reason for keeping it pure. I'm willing to share this power with you, if you join me." Lucius held it up in the air, admiring the red blood with more tenderness than he had ever shown his son. "His especially has power. Unlike his mother, who is practically a squib. I suspect that a squib's missing power is passed on to their offspring; my reason being for marrying Narcissa is that she came from a very powerful family. There was much power she had stored just to be passed on to a vessel, from which power is meant to be taken. Our son. Making this a very sweet treat indeed." 

Nathaniel did my best to stay calm; it would do him no good to completely loose his temper now. "Why should I trust the man that would hack his own son to pieces?" 

"Hack him to pieces? What do you mean? There is nothing wrong with my son, Nathan." he hated how Malfoy would speak his name with such familiarity. As he leered he waved his wand over his son and the cuts healed, but it still left the boy exceedingly pale. Then the blanket was clean along with the rest of him. Nathaniel almost bit my tongue in disgust. How much blood had once covered the baby blanket, meant to make him feel safe? What was almost as bad was that the blanket had been a present from my wife to Narcissa on the eve on Draco's birth. 

As the blood disappeared the knowing look on the boy face left him, along with the tears. Nathaniel knew that he would most likely not remember these excursions of his fathers. 

"I won't join you on your power trip, Malfoy. You disgust me." he said this all with a calm facade, fearing that he would attack the man if he didn't. Though Nathaniel desperately wanted to. "I will be telling Voldemort of you Malfoy. You can't stop me." he turned quickly to leave as quickly as I could, but then Lucius' words reached me. 

"Fine. But then I will make your son dead. And your wife will quickly follow." Lucius finally looked furious. He must have seriously believed that I would help him on his trip for power. "Neither do you have evidence." 

"I could have Voldemort look into my mind." 

"But that doesn't keep me from getting your family while you're away. Besides I could always go to the ministry about you and yours, though that would cause me to fall out of grace with Voldemort." 

"I don't think you were ever in Voldemort's good graces, Malfoy." 

Nathaniel watched for a second more with revulsion as Malfoy petted his sons had, seemingly loving; though it was actually what was under the skin that Malfoy loved him for. He swept out of the manor as quickly as he could to rejoin his own family. 

(end flashback)   


* * *

Blaise growled before flinging the book across the room. Though it had happened long ago, the feelings were still fresh. It still hurt him greatly, what had happened to his parents. As much as he didn't want to believe a word that Voldemort said, he had begun to believe him. Blaise was actually starting to trust him. But he had actually seen what his father had experienced as he wrote the words on the page. There was no way Voldemort could have replicated that. 

He would have destroyed Lucius then and there had he known what was in his past when Blaise had last seen him. They could have tested on Weasly for all he cared. 

As he hung his head close to his chest he heard the door open and the talking from the people that came through it. 

"Blaise. It's time." Hermione spoke softly. Harry and Draco peaked through the door around her, trying to spot the dark haired boy in the darkened room. 

They almost recoiled as their eyes fell on the blank face, staring at the bed under him but not really looking. Hermione gasped and ran to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He looked so completely lost, hopeless. 

"Harry, Draco? Could you give us a-" She was sharply cut off when Draco close the door, locking it behind them. 

"No! Hermione we have ignored what was going on with Blaise for a while now and I think that Harry agrees when I say enough is enough!" he then sat on the edge of the and waited for him to talk. 

Harry glanced in the corner and spotted a book strewn on the floor across the room from Blaise. He crept over to it and bent over to pick it up. He stopped when he saw on the outside cover the words: Property of Nathan Zabini. He glanced up at the boy on the bed before picking it up and carrying it over to join the others with him. 

"Do you mind?" he asked as he laid at Draco's feet, with the book his hand. 

"I trust you, Harry. But you won't get much from it." Blaise said quietly as he place his hand on Harry's arm, as he was right in front of him. 

He still didn't completely understand what was between the four of them. All of them were people who would normally shy away from others, for one way or another. Yet it always felt right to be around each other, more than anyone else they had once had in their lives. 

Hermione, his love, had always found solace in her books. She preferred them to people, ordinarily. She had found the friendship that she hadn't even realized she needed from Harry; Ron had just been along for the ride. And you would think that Harry would be starved for attention, and in a way he was. Harry had desperately needed to be loved, and had eventually found that in Draco. His fear for others had made him not want to get close most people, but had been unable to resist friendship with Hermione. With Ron it had been pure desperation and loneliness, though he had made a decent friend for the time being. 

Draco's reason wasn't as obvious and Blaise had finally been able to figure some of it out during the 'vision'. Maybe Draco had been affected by the fact that his father had hurt him and could allow for it to happen again. Either that or he just enjoyed being a bastard, which is very possible. 

Blaise, on the other had almost the opposite problem, as far as most people noticed. But, really, it was the same thing. He would admit that he had been a slut for a while, craving the attention that he couldn't get from his parents. He had been seen as the boy who was too dangerous to not be attracted to, with his parents in Azkaban and him carrying a mysterious and brooding atmosphere with him when he thought he was alone. But when it came to dealing directly with others he had been shameless, and it had never bothered him until he met Hermione. But it didn't matter now. 

But they had become like a family for him very quickly and couldn't imagine being apart. In a way, he found that he needed them. 

So yes, even though he had questioned Harry's trusting Voldemort at first, he found that he could trust him unconditionally. 

"Blaise?" Harry's voice cut into his thoughts. 

"What?" 

"I was asking about the journal. You said something about it." 

"Oh, um. You can read it, but I don't think you'll be able to see what I saw. I saw my father's memories when I read it." he saw the curious looks on their faces and decided to give a straight answer, for once. "It was about Lucius Malfoy." he watched to see if Draco would have any reaction, but he simply continued to listen closely. "I think that it's Lucius' fault that my parents are in Azkaban. He invited my father to Malfoy manner; you were still a baby at the time Draco. My father could not sleep there so he decided to look around and found Lucius your room. He was cutting you into ribbons, Draco. He was insane even then. Your fath-" 

"Please don't, Blaise. I do not claim that man as my father." Draco's fingers had found their way into Harry's hair, running his fingers through to let the feel calm him. Harry noticed when a something wet fell on his ear. He looked up and saw that Draco was crying. Draco's fingers were stopped when Harry pulled his hand, kissing it lightly before holding across his neck, keeping it intertwined with his own. 

Blaise nodded. "He told my father about how he had been ridding you of your blood, for its power. Said something about you having an abundance since your mother was almost a squib. Lucius had tried to get my father on his side by offering to share it with him. My father threatened to go to Voldemort-" 

He glanced at Harry, who was staring right back with eyes lidded. 

"-Tom. But Lucius said he would kill me and my mother in my father's absence if he did. That was the end of it." 

Still, as he watched Draco he, nothing changed about him. 

"This doesn't change anything, Blaise." Draco suddenly spoke. "I don't think that I could hate that bastard even more than I already do, even if he had gone as far to try and kill me. What you said doesn't surprise me in the least. What hurt's me is what he did to my mother!" 

"You do have a heart, Draco!" Harry quietly teased. At his lover's tranquil tone, he glanced down and saw that Harry would be asleep any second. Sniggering, Draco just rolled his eyes, not bothering to say anything. 

Even Blaise smiled. 

"He does have a way of breaking the tension." Hermione said, also grinning at Harry. 

"Yes." Blaise pulled Hermione into a hug and they all sat/laid there for a few more minutes. 

"Blaise, we came to tell you that me and Harry will be leaving first thing in the morning." Hermione sighed, quite contented. 

"So this might be the last time we see each other for a while." 

"Yeah..." 

"Quit mopping, Blaise. Harry promised that they would be back." Draco stated. Of course, by now, Harry was fast asleep, still holding Draco's hand, which had gotten a cramp. He tried to pull it away, without waking Harry, but the boy just gripped it harder before rolling over, with Harry on top. This was rather hard on Draco, as he was now stretched over Harry, trying to not topple over on him. 

"Mine..." Harry mumbled in his sleep. 

"Yes yours. Though I would like to borrow it for a minute, at least." but Harry was too sleep to notice his lovers begging. No not begging, Draco thought, Malfoy's, or at least me, never beg. 

Hermione giggled at Harry's antics. 

"No... Mine." 

Draco huffed before glaring at Hermione and Blaise. "You could help you know!" 

"But he's your boyfriend, Draco!" Blaise was making a hissing noise, trying to not burst out laughing. 

"Fine. I tried to do this the easy way, but no! I'll just have to wake him up my way." Draco smile evilly before shifting to put him leg on the other side of Harry, straddling him. Hermione stared at him, wondering what exactly he was planning to do when she saw his hand disappearing down the back of Harry's pants. 

"Draco!" she was wide-eyed in shock that Draco was doing this right there in front of them. 

Her and Blaise almost fell into the floor, when Harry all of a sudden yelped and scrambled out from under Draco as quickly as possible. He ended up falling promptly in the floor, but was quickly back up. 

"You pinched me!" Harry shrieked. He was busily rubbing at the cheek with his other hand trying to ease the pain. 

This time Blaise and Hermione did fall off the bed, howling in laughter, at Harry's reddened face. 

"You didn't leave me much choice, Harry." Draco grinned at the boy, who was still trying to figure out what exactly had happened. "Besides, I just had to pinch that cute little cheek of yours!" He said, teasingly. 

Draco then took off, flying out the room, as soon as he had seen Harry start to advance on him. Both were gone from the room, within a blink of an eye. 

Hermione and Blaise continued to laugh as they watched them leave. 

"He certainly seems be awake now! Someone's getting some tonight..." Hermione giggled. 

"I still haven't figured out who's on top!" he countered. 

"Don't think we ever will." She smiled at Blaise as they slowly stopped to giggle. "Blaise." 

"Yes." he smiled right back. 

"I want you to know that I love you. I wanted to tell you before we leave." 

He leaned to kiss her softly. "I love you to." 

"Great. Now can we get up? The stone isn't exactly the most comfortable thing to be lying on, you know." 

He simply smiled before kissing her again. 

* * *

Harry and Hermione laid side by side on the mattress in the back of the knight bus as they waited to get to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

They had waked up, saying a last goodbye to their respective loves, before setting out early. Harry had wanted to tell Tom farewell as well, but he had been fast asleep in the infirmary and Harry hadn't wanted to disturb him, instead leaving a note. Afterwards they placed a glamour on Harry to keep from being recognised. 

"Oh shit." Harry suddenly sat up, panicked. 

"What?" Hermione mumbled. 

"Today is Christmas! I forgot to give Draco a present!" Harry whined. "He's going to kill me once he realizes." 

"Did he give you something?" 

Harry nodded and lifted his sleeve to reveal a silver watch with a black face. In the place of numbers were emeralds. It was also large enough to cover the Dark Mark. 

"Looks expensive." Hermione smiled, thinking of Blaise's gift. "I gave Blaise my present last night." 

"What was it?" he asked in curiosity. 

Hermione suddenly blushed, not saying anything. Harry could figure it out. 

It took Harry a second before he realized. "You didn't!" 

"Yes. We did." Though she and Blaise had gone pretty far before, this was the first time they had gone all the way with each other. 

"Um... congratulations?" Harry said uncertainly. Hermione's having sex was not something he really wanted to think about. 

"Thanks. It was great. He was s-" 

"Hermione!" Harry looked at her, panicked. "It's ok! I don't need details." He smiled at her. "Really, that's great." 

"Thank you, Harry." 

"Sure." He was actually somewhat overwhelmed. Sure, he and Draco had first had sex a long time ago, but this was kind of like hearing that his sister had lost her virginity. "You're certain?" 

"Yes, Harry I was there." she rolled her eyes. "I would have killed him had it been anyone else." 

Harry just nodded. 

Hermione sighed, before she noticed something. 

"Harry. Look, your pocket." 

Harry glanced down and saw a piece of paper poking out. He then unfolded it to read it. "It's from Draco." 

Hermione then read it over Harry's shoulder. 

Harry-   
I know that you forgot about my present.   
I'll forgive you all long as you get me something   
worth my wait by the time you get back! 

Love,   
Draco 

"Well, I'm screwed." Harry sighed in dismay. 

"Don't worry, Harry. I'll help you find him something." She hoped that Harry would really stop moping. It wasn't that bad! Draco would forgive him. 

"What did Blaise give you?" Harry asked, and was once again greeted to a blush. 

"He asked me to marry him after all this is over." 

What was about to say was lost when the drivers disconnected voice came on over the speakers. /you would really think that wizards would be able to fix something like a broken speaker/ Harry glared at the offending object. 

"Next stop: Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry! Arrival in five minutes." the bus driver called back, amplifying his voice. 

"Well, it's time to start the act." 

Hermione silently nodded. 

* * *

They got into Hogwarts easily enough, carrying their luggage behind them. But that was where it ended. Then Harry dropped the glamour. It wasn't long before the wards had alerted their return. 

"I thought I expelled you, boy." 

They turned to see Dumbledore storming down the hall towards them. 

Harry jumped, then did his best to cower. "Sir, we have come to ask for your forgiveness and for sanctuary." 

"Yes, we found we were misled." Hermione attempted to look humbled and scared, though the latter was not necessarily part of the act. /What if he doesn't believe us.../ 

The headmaster stared them down for a moment, trying to read them, especially Harry. But he couldn't hear a single thought in his head. "Follow me to my office." Dumbledore turned, waiting until followed. 

/on the other hand, maybe he really is as much of an idiot as we thought/ Quietly, Hermione and Harry followed the headmaster. 

Once there and seated, the man begun again. 

"Now, with detail, why are you here." /he crawled back the way I thought he would/ he cackled silently. 

Harry tried his best to look forlorn and sorry, as Hermione had. "We were mislead by the Slytherins. They tricked us into trusting them, then kidnapped us to take us to Voldemort as soon as we were out of your sight." 

"You are a known murderer, Harry. I cannot simply overlook that. And neither will the rest of the school." 

"I was forced!" Harry tried to bring tears to his eye as he went. "They, and Voldemort held Hermione and said if I didn't work for them they would kill her!" at this Hermione seemed to crumble into herself. /good girl/ Harry thought. "Then they used my dark-mark as a way to continue to black-mail me." 

Dumbledore watched in fascination. /finally, someone has managed to control the boy! I'm tempted to do the same.../ but the old man hid all this as he watched them with seemingly pity. "Go on." he urged. 

"I had no idea what to do anymore... but still it continued! We finally managed to escape while they concentrated on another escape." 

"And what of Miss Granger's problem." /I should really thank Tom. He sent him running right back to me…/ 

"Then Snape cured me. While they weren't watching. He told them that he was using me for an experiment." 

"Was Severus still there, when you last saw him?" he questioned. 

She did her best to look confused. "Yes..." 

He noticed the look in her eyes and figured it couldn't hurt to give a bit. "I have been looking for him, as we are in desperate need of our potions master. He has been gone more often than not, lately. I am beginning to worry. About his health, of course." he hastily added, to cover himself. 

"Of course." Harry agreed. 

"He had a run in with a traitor. He was comatose the last we heard." 

"Lucius turned against them, sir!" Harry simpered. 

"Maybe-" 

"No, you can't trust him! He tried to kill me and Hermione right before he escaped! He's insane!" Harry pleaded. 

"Stop, Harry!" Dumbledore admonished. "I will have no more of that, if you are to come back." /Lucius, what are you doing!/ "He is my trusted personal friend." 

"Sorry, sir." Harry bowed his head in regret. 

"We can still come back?" Hermione held what was hopefully a hopeful look on her face. 

"Yes, miss Granger. I trust that you would not lie to me." /The vacuous girl doesn't seem to know top from bottom! Just look at her, she's a mess... What a waste of a brain on such a female/ 

"Thank you." 

"In the mean time, you will probably like to have time to catch up on your studies." he winked at Hermione, who tried to keep her skin from crawling. 

They got up to leave, but Dumbledore seemed to notice they were hesitating. "Yes, is there something else you would like?" 

Harry seemed to hesitate again before speaking. "It's just that once the others get back from break... I don't know what will happen. They do still think me a killer and Hermione a traitor. Would it be possible for the both of us to stay in the Room of Requirement? Please, sir. We would do anything!" 

The old man looked uncertain. What if they weren't telling the truth? They could do any number of things in that room and he would not know. On the other hand, what Harry said had validation. "Fine. I will contact you later on further details of our arrangement." 

"Oh, thank you!" Hermione smiled, before she took Harry's hand and they raced to the room. 

/but I will most certainly have to keep a close eye on you two... don't think I will trust you again so quickly. And if you ever do betray me again, boy, you wont find your much needed 'evidence'. And know I have it hidden right under your nose./ 

* * *

Chapter 15   
Chapter 17 


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 

* * *

Immediately Harry flopped down on the bed that had appeared as soon as they had opened the door to the Room of Requirement. Hermione was soon beside him. She was panting with nervousness. 

"I know Hermione. I have no idea how we are to do this." He pulled his arms around her shoulders and held her. 

"He could kill us, Harry." 

"So could Lucius. And you used to think Tom was going to kill us all, and you dealt with them well enough." Harry replied. 

"Yes, but I didn't trust Lucius from the beginning and I'm just starting to trust Tom. Not all of us are as easy there as you are." 

"Draco seems to have it easy enough." 

"He's Draco!" She could not help but laugh. "Of course he would be seemingly comfortable around the dark lord. He is a Slytherin." 

"Are you insulting by boyfriend Hermione!" he faked shock. 

"Yes. But what are we going to do now." 

"We wait. We have to see what the old idiot is going to come up with. Then we'll plan on what the next move will be." 

"I hate this Harry." 

"I know." 

Hermione got up and looked around at the room. It was simply a room with two beds, two desks, a couch and a fireplace. There was also another door, which she guessed lead to a bathroom. 

"I guess the room decided we didn't require much." 

"Not really." Harry yawned, and took his glasses off. "I'm going to sleep first. Wake me if something happens." 

She first thought to insult him for leaving her on first watch, but then just checked the lock on the door before climbing into the other bed. 

Several hours later there was a knock at the door. Harry looked over to the other bed, but Hermione was fast asleep. After a moment of considering going back to sleep the door banged rather loudly again. 

/I'm coming half-wit.../ he though as he trudged to the door. /I finally get some sleep, but no! Dumbledore has wake me with his 'punishment', most likely!/ 

He made an attempted to pull his ebony hair out of his eyes before answering to door. /can't be looking like a 'hooligan'./ As his hands got closer to his ears he noticed something else. The earrings /crap! Well it's too late to do anything about it now/ he had been trying to hide all of his recent acquirements from Dumbledore, but he had forgotten that in his nervousness. 

He opened the door to reveal, of course, Dumbledore. Without waiting the old man swept into the room. /sorry, but you do not look nearly as good as Severus does when you do that./ Harry thought. When the man in front of him stiffened, Harry almost panicked. What if he was still in his mind! But then he just turned around to face Harry. 

"Harry, I have decided what I will do with you. At least for the time being. Now, if you do not mind, wake Miss Granger. She needs to hear this too." 

Harry did as he asked and minutes later they were sitting on the couch with Dumbledore standing in front of them, with a stern look on his face. 

"Now. I have decided." Harry did his best not to roll his eyes. "As I have had a harder time filling the teaching positions this year than usual, you two will take over those classes. You, Harry, will take over the potions position, at least until Professor Snape returns. In addition, you, Hermione, will be in charge of Defence, as Professor McEwan is still under the weather. I realize that this is odd, but I assure you that I am doing what is best. Also, how well you do does affect your grade. Now that will be all." He quickly left the room with Hermione and Harry gaping at each other. 

"Well, that's a bit curious." Harry stated. 

"Yes. Giving you the potions position. Everyone knows you're crap, when it comes to potions." 

Harry glared at her. "And everyone is going to running away from YOU in defence class, screaming bloody murder." 

"They've probably forgot by now." she rolled her brown eyes towards the ceiling. 

"You really think so? With the other professor 'still under the weather' after what you did to him." 

"He wants to torture us." 

"Of course, Hermione." Harry sounded almost annoyed, but when she looked him he was glaring daggers towards the door. "After we've betrayed him once. I think he wants to keep us too tired to plan to do it again. We do badly and we won't be able to graduate. Yes, he's trying to torture us." 

He sighed. "Luckily, I'm not complete crap at potions." Hermione looked ready to laugh. "Really, Hermione. After being around Draco for this long. He wouldn't have let me get away with being terrible at his favourite subject, I'm reasonable at it. Besides, this could help us. I could use the positions to help us find a cure for Severus." 

"And, of course, my position is useless." Hermione said, sounding exasperated. 

"Of course! You can use only use it to terrify the people who called you a monster." 

She brightened immediately. "Fun!" 

"Now we just have to get ready for when everyone comes back." Harry got up stretching as he went. Hermione couldn't help but leer when his shirt came up. Harry noticed and turned pink. "Hermione!" 

"What! I don't have my own boyfriend to look at, so I'm doing the next best thing." she smiled brightly. 

"Why me!" he had both his hands around the bottom of his shirt, looking scandalized. 

"You're delectable Harry! Very cute. Sexy at that! Not to mention, the earrings make you look so hot." she said with a bright smile on her face. 

"I'm not hearing this!" he quickly scurried into the bed and yanked the covers over his head, with a few ebony tufts peaking out the top. 

Hermione just laughed. /I love doing that to him/ she couldn't help it when more snickers followed. 

After a while, when Harry had gone to sleep she was left to her thoughts 

* * *

Tom was once again sitting in the chair beside Severus bed. There still hadn't been a change so far, and there wasn't likely to be one as one Severus himself was one of the best potions masters in the world. Not much that would do, when he couldn't even wake up. He was still just as pale, and his breathing shallow. Lady Une, the resident Mediwitch was unable to do anything other than keeping Severus alive. 

Also, he dreadfully missed Harry. He hadn't been gone for long, but still. Harry was still like the son he never had and was one of the closest people to him, aside from Severus. Not even his own daughter was as close. He wondered if it ever made her jealous. He laughed to himself /I don't even know my own daughter that well.../ Though it only made sense, after he had been missing for the most of the first twelve years of her life. /Heck! Severus is the one who raised her! It's a surprise that she even agreed to live with me./ 

But it brought his thoughts right back to Severus. He sighed. All his thoughts brought his right back to Severus. 

He tried to find something else to think about. Like wondering what the others where up to. 

As far as he knew, Nagini was still in her room, up to Merlin-knows-what. Then there were Draco and Nathaniel's son, Blaise. They had taken over for him, the operations for finding Malfoy. He noticed that both Draco and Blaise seemed to taking the betrayal personally, and were pushing the death-eaters to work harder than they had in a long time. But none of them questioned their orders after the first incident. 

It was actually almost funny. 

(flashback) 

The death-eaters had gathered wondering what they had been summoned for. They hadn't been summoned in months, now all of a sudden, then had been called back, en masse. But then dark lord was nowhere to been. 

Unexpectedly, there was a loud bang as the large double doors slammed into the walls. They watched as a young blond boy and another ebony-haired boy behind him. They swiftly strided to the front of the meeting room, to stand in front of them. A couple murmured as they recognised the blond as Malfoy's son. 

"I would like for you all to be silent, so we can get this over with as quickly as possible!" Draco yelled over the crowded room. Blaise stayed close behind him, happy to leave all the talking to Draco. 

While some became quiet out of curiosity, others when not so happy to obey. There where still whispers going across the room. 

"Where is the Dark Lord?" 

"Who does this boy think he is!?" 

"When's lunch?" ::Draco rolled his eyes at this one:: 

"Quiet!" Draco shouted. "I have been put in charge of this meeting! And you will listen to me." 

"Why should we." This was McNair. 

"Do you really want find out what would happen if you don't." Draco's eyes glared silver as he stared down the man. "Do you really think that I could be here if I didn't have the Dark Lord's favour?! This is more than I can say you, McNair." 

At this, one of the death-eaters decided to charge the boy at the front. /How dare this boy be favoured over me!/ She thought as she hurled her skeletal-like body at Draco. She didn't get far (or had moved further than five feet) when both Draco and Blaise aimed the wands and performed the Cruciatous curse on her. Blaise quickly released her, but Draco continued for a moment, before casting "finite incantatum" on the middle-aged woman. 

"Anyone else, want to try?" Draco asked the room, but nobody moved an inch. "Who is she?" 

Still everyone was silent. /People! When you want for them to do one thing, they do the opposite!/ Draco grumbled silently. Once again, he lifted his wand and someone finally stepped forward. 

"Mr. Malfoy," A red-haired witch, addressed him. "It's Bellatrix." 

"Bellatrix LeStrange?" He urged her to say more. /Is she the one Harry told me about? The one who killed his god-father./ 

"Yes, sir." 

"Thank you. Would you mind taking her to the dungeons for me?" 

She smiled at him slightly before walking over to the woman. She looked at her for a second before wrinkling her nose in distaste and decided to levitate the body. 

Draco stared for a second before he dared to ask. "Miss, what is your name?" 

"Sally Po." Draco nodded before returning his attention to the audience around them. /good riddance/ he thought as he contemplated Bellatrix, the woman who killed Sirius, making her trip to the dungeons. He would bring Harry to her, once this was all over. /Even if Harry's godfather isn't alive to see his freedom, at least Harry would see the day./ 

"Now that that's over with can we finally continue the meeting?" He smiled at them, showing a bit more teeth than needed. 

Blaise nudged him, Causing Draco to glare at him. Just trying not to scare death-eaters to death this time, was the message that Blaise was trying to convey at him. When Blaise did nothing but stare at him, ginning, Draco just rolled his eyes and continued. 

"As I was saying-" This time he was interrupted when the door opened. Sally was back, saluting him, before returning to her spot. /Maybe now I can get through a single sentence without being interrupted!/ Trying to relax, he started again. "Now! And if anyone else tries to interrupt me again, I swear I will take it straight to Voldemort! And I assure you that he doesn't feel like being disturbed right know." No one moved a muscle. "I need for you to hunt down Lucius Malfoy! I don't care what you were previously supposed to do; you will put all of your effort towards this. Unless your work involved Dumbledore, then you can continue with that. Any questions." He asked, but all he got was a one wizard fidgeting in his place. /this must be why Tom only calls his inner circle for anything important! The rest are a bunch of dimwits, and I wonder why in the world didn't he let these people join!/ he pointed to person and they spoke. 

"Why are we looking for your father?" a murmur passed over the room as the rest of them realize who he was. 

"You do not need to know anything, other than he's a traitor." Draco could forgive the man calling Lucius his father, as he didn't know what pain Lucius had caused. He rolled his eye's heavenward when he spotted a rat-faced man in back raising his hand. /WHAT IS THIS? SCHOOL!/ Draco didn't resist glaring this time. "Yes. You in the back!" 

He fidgeted even more, glancing to the left and right to see if he was talking to someone else. "May I go to the bathroom?" 

Draco fixed a deadly stare on the man. "Out. GET OUT! NOW!" He screamed. "In fact, anyone who isn't in Voldemort's inner circle, get out, and pray that I don't see you here again." half of the death-eaters got up to leave. "Po! Stay." She looked around curiously, before shrugging. 

Blaise decided to give Draco a break and placed Draco behind him. "I'll take over from here." He whispered. 

Draco backed up before slumping a chair that had been behind him. "Of course, you would step up when the bovine have left. I'm going to have to have a serious talk with Tom." he muttered. /What is Bellatrix LeStrange still even doing here?!/ "It pays when your boyfriend is the resident Dark Lord's favoured." 

Blaise decided to ignore Draco and continued on with the meeting. 

(end flashback) 

Yes, Draco had talked with him later. He honestly hadn't paid that much attention the people in his employ. However, he would have to deal with then later. And with any luck, he wouldn't have to deal with them anymore soon. If anybody can get anything together. If only they can finally get Dumbledore, and now Lucius, out of the way he could finally disappear. 

But he had Severus to worry about right know. He had to find a cure for his friend. Tom brushed his hair out of his face that had somehow managed to cover it. Severus had hated it when it did that, but his hair seemed to have a mind of its own. 

He had an idea and left the chair for a moment and came back holding a comb and hair tie. He lifted Severus as slightly as he could and wedged himself behind him, propping Severus up in front of him. He swiftly combed the hair back, just as he had done many times before when they were younger. He hadn't had the chance to do this recently, and enjoyed the simplicity. After he was finished, he tossed the comb onto the bedside table. Tom often wondered during times like this, what exactly he felt for Severus. But then he dismissed his ponderings and simply decided that he would deal with that road of thoughts when he had to. 

He put one arm around the unconscious man and soon after fell asleep. 

* * *

The very next day, Dumbledore sent one of the house elves to retrieve Harry. There was a matter that had been puzzling him. 

"Ah, you are here, my boy!" He greeted Harry as he nervously entered to office. 

Harry refrained from glaring down the man. /I will never be yours, you conniving bastard!/ "You asked for me?" he asked. 

"Yes, yes." He turned and pulled out a bundle of papers that had had been stuffed in a nook behind him. Harry was tempted to attack right than, but knew that it was best to wait until he had found the evidence against him. He surely would not be so stupid as to make the mistake of hiding the journal in his own office again. His thoughts were interrupted when Dumbledore spoke again. "I would like to ask you, do you know where Ronald Weasly is. He went missing around the same time you disappeared." 

Harry was dumbstruck. /Weasel!? That's the important matter that he had been called there for!?/ "Him?" 

"Yes, Harry. Ronald Weasly. You see, his parents have been asking about him. I have told them that he was simply staying here, but then they asked why they didn't get an owl stating that he would be staying over the break. They also sent one for you, but of course, you weren't here to receive it." He tossed one of the letters towards Harry. "Do you have any idea where he is!?" /damn the boy's stubbornness. Obstinate Slytherins! They think they should always have their way. But at least Lucius is different from others of his ilk! If it hadn't been prudent to make the boy a Slytherin, I would have!/ 

"No." He muttered. But the old man continued to stare at him. He knew that Harry was lying; he could not lose what trust he had left. "Yes. I know that I should forgive him, headmasters, but I don't trust him." 

"You don't trust anyone." It was a statement. 

"I trust Hermione." /I just don't trust you./ He said simply, shrugging. "I would do anything for her." 

"Which is possibly why you got into this mess, Harry. If it had not been for her, you wouldn't have allowed the Dark Lord to blackmail you. Not that she is to blame." He added the last part quickly. 

"I guess." /You want me to not trust her? It would be much simpler to try and get me to trust you, and I can assure you that their isn't much chance of either happening./ 

The man stayed quiet for a few more minutes before asking. "Weasly's whereabouts?" 

"Voldemort has him. There wasn't anything I can do." His emerald eyes stared at the carpet below his feet. His hair was obscuring Dumbledore's view of his gaze, and he couldn't really tell if he was telling the truth or not. /Damn Severus for being gone, right when his potions skills could come in handy. Moreover, damn him, for not ever having any Veritaserum ready made!/ This was one of the few moments he actual got to observe the boy without him paying attention, and he took it. Harry seemed to have drifted into his thoughts. /I should have asked to make him Hufflepuff, now that I think about it. They aren't nearly as infuriating. Nevertheless, it's to late now. And he seems to be more confident that when he first arrived. I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or bad thing. And he still has those thrice damned ridiculous earrings in his ears/ Dumbledore sneered. /Really! He's male, not a woman. /He still insist on dressing like a burglar, in his black t-shirt and black jeans./ he was taken back, blinking when he noticed how low the jeans were. /they almost show his.../ He dropped the thought before it was finished. /Once again, 'Slytherins'! I will never understand them./ He thought to himself. He looked back to his face, only to notice that Harry was staring at him with one eyebrow raised. 

"May I leave, now?" 

/that cocky little...catamite!/ "Yes, you may. Take the letter with you. Be ready for your lesson, Potter!" 

Harry knew that he was dismissed and quickly left. /Lesson?/ But then he remembered, he would be teaching Severus' class. 

With a sigh, he walked back to the Room of Requirement. 

* * *

The first days that the students started to return were reasonably easy. It was the day that classes started when it became difficult. 

It started when they ran into the twins just outside the great hall. It was unpleasant to say the least. Harry had been caught by surprise when one of them rushed him head first, leaving him winded on the floor. Before he could get up Harry found himself pinned on the floor. 

Hermione tried to help but the other had grabbed her arms forcing her to drop her wand and then snatched her arms behind her back. He quickly turned her and pressed her face first against the wall. The twin snickered when he heard her cry out in pain. 

Harry growled at the redheaded boy, furious. The sound almost scared the one holding him down into letting go, but he kept his grasp. Harry tried to point his wand in the direction on her assailant, but the grip on his wrist prevented it. 

"Quit struggling, bastard! Where is our brother!?" 

"I don't know where he is! And even if I didn't do you think I would tell you!" Harry hissed. 

"How about you?" The other brother pressed himself against Hermione, forcing her against the wall once again, this time making the stone scrape against her face, ripping the skin against it. 

"Fuck off!" Hermione said into the wall, really wishing that she could electrocute him. 

"My, my! Hermione has developed a backbone, while gone." He sneered. 

"Let us go." 

Harry tried struggling more, attempting to throw off the heavier boy. It drew their attention back to them and Fred or George threw a punch at his face, making contact with his glasses and breaking them before connecting. He hissed as the shattered glass grazed against the bruised skin, causing him to flinch. 

"We haven't seen your bastard of a brother, now GET OFF!!" 

"Why should I? As I recall you enjoy writhing under other boys, Harry!" He leered. 

/WHAT the hell is wrong with this family!/ Harry thought. 

"I know that you're enjoying that, Potter. Just like I'm going to enjoy this-" George of Fred ran his hand along Hermione body, still keeping her hands pinned with his other. He slipped his hand up her shirt, climbing further before finding its goal. He then pressed against her, forcing her once again to be trapped against the wall. "-if you don't tell me." 

Harry saw red. Before he knew it, Hermione's assailant was thrown off her, only to slam into the door on the opposite wall. He screamed as soon as he connected with door, but Hermione rushed forward and grasped her wand from ground. She whirled around and before Weasly could do any more she screamed "CRUCIO!" /he was going to.../ was all that was going through her mind. 

The other, after a moment of hesitation, ran over to help his brother. Harry took the advantage of the distraction and grabbed the back of the boy shirt, jerking him back. Harry then, enraged, started to rain down punches and kicking the other boy, who was still writhing in pain. 

"Enough!" Dumbledore's voice rang, just as the Fred (or George) started to pounce on Harry. As Dumbledore passed, he cast a spell to lock the doors to the Great Hall. 

He had come as soon as he heard a pounding on the door. Shocked at what he saw, he quickly shut the door behind him. No one would trust him again, if they knew for sure that the boy was a deranged killer. He had given Harry's account on what happened to the Ministry and they had accepted it readily enough. It was surprisingly easy, as they had been the first to believe him a killer when Diggory turned up dead in Harry's arms. 

Dumbledore quickly cast finite incantatum on the Crucioed boy. 

But nothing happened. 

* * *

Chapter 16   
Chapter 18 


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 

* * *

Dumbledore quickly cast 'finite incantatum' on the boy. 

But nothing happened. 

Dumbledore looked puzzled, before glancing at the boy. The murderous look directed at Weasly nearly paralysed him in shock. He hadn't seen someone look so ready to kill another, except possibly Voldemort. Dumbledore shivered, something wasn't quite right. 

"Harry! Release George Weasly!" he shouted. 

Harry turned his gaze on him. "No." He said simply. 

Dumbledore glared at him. "Do it now! Do I have to remind you that I am the only thing keeping you out of Azkaban boy!?" 

Harry shook his head, once again averting his eyes to the floor. At times, he was afraid of what Dumbledore would see in his eyes; that it might give them away. 

Harry felt the rage that had overwhelmed him begin to fade. Almost instantly, George quit convulsing, and screaming, but he continued to whimper as he felt the blood ran out his mouth. 

Fred quivered on the floor where he was, pointing at Harry, whispering 'monster'. 

Hermione lay in the floor, where she had collapsed shortly after performing the curse. She didn't realize at the time that tears where streaming down her face, her mind was stuck, thinking about what he would have done to her hadn't Harry stopped him. She didn't even realize that Harry had thrown him without his wand, and then held her curse on Weasly so that not even Dumbledore could remove it. 

"I had my reason." Harry stated, before walking over to her. Dumbledore only watched as Harry wrapped his arms around Hermione, whispering in her hear, obviously trying to comfort her. 

Dumbledore took a moment to access Weasly's injuries. The one not muttering like a nutcase. He found a dislocated jaw, concussion, cracked ribs, internal bleeding, broken arm, a fractured femur. On top of it all were the after-effects of the Cruciutous. 

He turned to the boy behind him. "Boy, do you have any idea the damage you have done!" He seethed. 

Harry just glared at the boy, still holding on to Hermione for dear life. 

"Harry, what happened?" He finally asked. 

"Glowing..." was all he got, but that was from the other boy behind him. Dumbledore veered around. 

"What are you talking off?" He stared at the boy. 

"He glowed! Potter!" He said, still pointing, and blinking rapidly. "I tried to do as you-" But before he could anything more he fainted out of shear exertion. 

"Damn!" was all he could say. /he almost said too much.../ 

"He tried to rape her, Professor." At the words, he quickly whirled around back to face the boy. /it all leads back to him! I am starting to wish I never made him! Nevertheless, he might still be useful to me. But the girl is turning into his weakness... I will never fully have him back until she ceases to exist!/ 

"That gave you no right to inflict harm on another student, BOY!" 

"It gave me every right!" Harry forced to words out hissing. "He's just lucky he didn't. Otherwise I would have killed him, I would not have held back. But that's not what you wanted to hear, was it, professor." He openly glared at the man in front of him. 

Harry didn't miss what Fred Weasly had almost said though. He easily figured it out. 

"You're responsible for this, Dumbledore." He simply stared at the man. 

"I have no id-" 

"Don't give me that." Harry muttered. "Don't even say it. I can't forgive George or you. I would forgive Ron for what he did to me before I take any more shit from either of you! I'll still help you fight Voldemort, but only because I hate him even more than I could possibly hate you for what he did to my parents." /Forgive me, Tom/ 

"I'm sending Hermione away." /Where you can't hurt her/ Harry lifted Hermione in his arms and left. 

* * *

  
(the Room of Requirement) 

"Hermione..." Harry gently rocked her. "You're ok. Nothing happened..." /You'll be ok/ 

"Why would he do that, Harry? He was our friend." She sobbed into his shoulder. 

"I don't know, but I would like to get you out of here, as soon as I can. I don't want for him to try and hurt you again." 

"I'm not an invalid, Harry! I can take care of myself." She growled. He may be her best friend, but she would not let him do this to her. 

Harry looked at her sadly. "I know that, Hermione, but Dumbledore wants to use you against me. I won't let him get another chance. Please do this for me!" He held her close. 

"I can help, and I will!" She turned an icy glare on him. 

"You can! I don't think Lucius has been found. I wish I hadn't brought you here! I should have known that he would try something like this." Harry fidgeted. 

"Harry?" Hermione lifted her head off his shoulder and glanced down. She was in his lap. Harry fidgeted again. "I'm not that heavy!" She muttered and pushed herself slightly off him to lighten the weight on him. "You didn't seem to have too much trouble when you had to carry me." 

"Sorry. Adrenaline." He looked a bit sheepish that that had happened. 

"You need to eat more. You're still as skinny as a rake." to emphasize the point she pocked him in the rib. 

"I am eating more! Tom noticed back when my memory was gone and made sure I had three meals a day, or at least two meals and a snack. Whether I wanted to or not. I guess I just burn it off too quickly..." He blushed. 

"Damn you. I would kill for your metabolism." Hermione continued to glare at him. 

"Not when you find that your friends could easily squash you simply by sitting on you," he grumbled. 

"I could tell that you had put on at least some muscle under tom's tutelage." 

"Comes with being a death-eater." 

"But you're not just any death-eater; you're practically the 'Dark Lord's' son. The man would do anything for you and you are related to him by Slytherin's blood." 

"Yeah," Harry grumbled. He didn't like to think of what had happened. "Though, I still haven't quite found my Ravenclaw side, yet." Then he brightened. "You feel better?" 

"A bit." She still looked a bit weepy and her eyes were red. 

"You're still leaving." She groaned and fell back on the bed. "Seriously, I can't have you hurt, Hermione." 

"I understand. I would do the same if it was you." 

"You wouldn't get rid of me so easily." 

"Harry..." 

"What?" 

"Shut up." 

"Why does everyone tell me to shut up?" Harry whined. 

* * *

Harry left with her late that night, so they would have time to make arrangements. 

Hermione was not happy to be sent off, needless to say. In fact, she quite explicitly told him what she felt about it on there way to the train station. Dumbledore, curiously, didn't try to stop them from leaving. 

"I know Hermione." he said for what felt like the fifteenth time. 

"I will get you for this, Harry." She glared at him. 

"I know." 

"But I do still love you like a brother, Harry." 

"I know. You still want to go back to the mansion." 

"I so don't want to tell my parents about this. Yes I'm sure Harry." She stopped on the path suddenly and turned to hug Harry. "Don't do anything stupid when I'm gone. If you need help, leave. We'll find a different way to find Dumbledore's Journal. Don't get yourself killed over it." She muttered into his shoulder. 

"Don't worry." He hugged her tighter. "I won't." 

"Come back alive, Harry. Otherwise, I'll take up necromancy and make your afterlife a living hell. And I'm sure that Draco would like to finally get his Christmas present before you die." 

"Yes, Hermione." 

"Harry, you can let go now; I can't breathe." 

"Oh, sorry." He released her. "I don't really want you to leave." He stared at her eye to eye. /I don't want to be alone again.../ 

"I know." With that, she kissed him on the cheek and continued on her own. 

* * *

"Where is she?" The Headmaster whispered to Harry. They were seated at the teachers table at the head of the Great Hall. Professor McGonnagal sat beside him. Yesterday Dumbledore had to cancel Harry's and Hermione's classes, as they had disappeared for the rest of the day into their room. 

"You don't need to know." Harry continued to eat. 

"Couldn't you have worn something more appropriate, boy. You are supposed to be setting a good example for the students." 

"No." Just to spite Dumbledore he had worn a pair low-rise of leather jeans, a black tank top and an open robe. And of course, those damned silver earrings! 

/I only have to deal with him until Voldemort is Riddle is dead. Then the boy can follow.../ Dumbledore grumbled to himself. /yes, he will follow very quickly.../ 

"Are you ready for your class this time?" 

"I was ready yesterday! That was your all fault." Harry continued to eat. Harry's nonchalance was really started to piss off Dumbledore. 

"You should be careful who you trust, Potter. You have shown that you can be misled before. She would have gotten you hurt." 

"I can choose for myself who I want around me." 

"Including that Slytherin boyfriend of yours. Honestly, I do not know what is worst! You, falling for another boy, or you, falling for a Slytherin. Besides Miss Granger was obviously to far gone. She is on their side. I just didn't want to say that I knew until she was gone. She deserves anything she gets for associating with the Slytherins. If I had it my way all of the Slytherin house would be locked in Azkaban." 

"I have a class to get ready for." Harry quickly left the room. He didn't know what he would have done if he had to listen to him any longer. 

* * *

He decided as soon as the first years arrived why Severus enjoyed torturing his students so much. The students themselves were pure torture. /which may be why Dumbledore GAVE ME THIS JOB!/ 

"Everyone quiet!" He shouted over the class. "Less you want to have detention with filch for the rest of the school year. Weekends included." Scared shitless, the students quickly found their seats. He noted, with pleasure, that they were too scared to even move an inch. /Great! Slytherins and Gryffindors. Though it gives me an idea.../ 

"Everyone get up and sit with some one in the opposite class." After a moments hesitation they did as told, still completely silent. "Good. Now where I want for you to sit by the person beside you-" 

Harry was interrupted when the door opened and chestnut-haired boy fell into the room. He glanced around to see if he had been noticed. The entire class was watching him. He ducked his head, blushing, and looked around for a place to sit. 

"Stop!" He halted with dear-in-headlights look on his face. A braid revealed itself when he sharply turned to look at the professor. "Who are you?" 

"Duo Maxwell." He whispered, even though he had already been caught. 

"What house?" 

"Slytherin." 

Harry looked around to find a place for him to sit. There was an Asian looking boy in the back sitting by himself. He was the only one left. "What's your name and what house are you in?" He questioned the boy. 

"Heero Yuy. Gryffindor." He openly glared at the longhaired boy standing at the door. 

"Mr. Maxwell, I would like for you to sit with Mr. Yuy." He paled but he trudged over to his seat. "And if you're late again I'll give you a weeks worth of detention." 

"As I was saying; you will be partnered with the person you're sitting beside for rest of the year." Groans were heard all over the room. 

The rest of the class was fine up until "OUCH!!!" 

Harry jerked his head up from where he had been looking over papers that Snape's temporary replacements had left. Turns out there was a whole stack of them locked in Severus' desk. 

Harry saw that the sound had come from the back. Yuy had Maxwell's hair wrapped around his fist. Maxwell had his wand pointed at Yuy's chest, about to curse him. "Stop!" They both glanced at him before their eyes returned to glaring at each other. After a few more seconds Maxwell lowered his wand and Yuy released his hold. 

"Who started this?!" Neither spoke refused to look at each other at each other. /Eleven year-olds! Was I this bad?/ "Fine. You both have detention with me this afternoon." /did I just volunteer to spend more time with them?!/ 

Luckily, nothing else happened for the rest of class. 

* * *

"Potter! You're back." He turned to face a grinning Millicent Bulstrode. /isn't lunch right now?/ 

"Yes. I am standing here aren't I?" 

"No need to be surly. I'm glad you're back. I've decided that you aren't so bad, keeping Draco as a lover." 

"Me and Draco are no longer together." Harry couldn't admit that he and Draco hadn't broken up. It would be suspicious if he still dated someone who 'turned him over to the dark lord'. 

"That's too bad. But that does make things better for me." She opened her robe to reveal an extremely small tube top and a skirt that could have been a belt. 

"Bulstrode. I assure you, that does not turn me on. In fact, I'm going to retch if I have to look at you any longer. You're enough to turn a male completely gay and not look back, in fear of seeing your pug face. Now please close the robe and get to your seat." He stayed seated behind the desk, looking over still more papers! /incompetent teachers/ He was still trying to make sense of it all. /if they had no idea what they were doing they should have let SOMEONE ELSE do it!/ 

"But Haaaarry..." She whined. She tried to sit on the desk right in front of him. "We can see each other now that Draco isn't in the way. He can no longer hold back our love!" She let the robe slide of her should in a way that she apparently thought was sexy. "I know that you always wanted to come see me all those times you were in the dorms... I want yo-" 

She was cut off when Harry, having had enough, abruptly pushed her off the side of the desk, only using a couple fingers as he was trying to touch her as little as possible. Luckily, she easily slipped of the edge. 

"What the hell did you have to do that for!?" She cried as she picked herself up from the floor, trying to pull down where her 'skirt' had 'come up'. /it can't possibly go up any further.../ 

"Leave!" he finally got up and pointed her wand at him. 

"But-" Millicent had tried to get closer to him. 

"Leave." 

"Fine. I will prove that you love only me, Harry. You will see!" She closes her robe a leaves in a huff, luckily just in time for the other students to arrive. 

"What crawled up her ass, laid eggs and died?" Ethan Machigai asked him and the other Slytherins arrived. Harry and the Slytherins had gotten comfortable with each other in his and Hermione's time in the dungeons. 

Harry snorted. "Besides being a slut?" 

"She propositioned you?" He asked, incredulous, then looked thoughtful. "Well you don't look too bad, now that I think about it." 

"Stick with your girlfriend, Ethan." 

The rest took their seats while Ethan was talking. Ethan came up closer to the desk. "Where's Draco?" He whispered. Harry just shook his head. Ethan shrugged. "Well, it's good for her that he isn't here. He would have killed her for that." 

Harry smirked. "Probably." The Gryffindors started coming in and Ethan went to his seat. 

Once class got started things were pretty decent until Harry heard someone scream. "Dai-itami!" He ducked just in time as the spell broke the board behind him, then turned to see that it was Seamus. 

"Seamus! What the hell are you doing?!" /bad day! bad, bad, day.../ 

"Did you really do it?" It looked like he had been crying. "Did you really kill Ron?!" 

/What!/ "No!" 

"But they told me you killed him." Dean and Neville where trying to pull him back down into his seat, but he refused to budge. 

"Who? Fred and George?" Seamus continued to point his wand at him. "I didn't kill Ron, Seamus." /there are times I've seriously wanted to... but didn't!/ "I know we weren't exactly the best of friends when I left, but I wouldn't kill him!" 

"Are you lying to me, Harry?" His glare wavered and he started to lower his wand. 

"I give you my word. I promise I didn't kill Ron." Harry looked Seamus in the eye until he sat. 

/enough for one day!/ "You know what? Class dismissed, it is almost time to leave, anyway." 

The Gryffindors quickly left and the Slytherins left after sitting around for a few more minutes, talking with Harry, trying to figure out where he and the others had been. 

Harry barely managed to get away without telling them anything important. After all they are Slytherins for a reason. 

* * *

/great one more thing than I can finally go to bed!/ 

The detention with those two first years... and Harry was already exhausted! He had barely been able to stay awake long enough to teach the seventh year class. Yes, he had had to teach seven classes that day. All Gryffindor-Slytherin! And he had to take on the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws tomorrow. Not to mention that some of the potions were just plain confusing and he had to understand them perfectly before he taught them, so he could handle it when something nearly catastrophic happened. Even the seventh year potions! Moreover, he had no idea how he or the others were going to get to seventh year when none of them were taking any classes! Harry swore that Dumbledore had to have planned it this way, as actual classes for him were nowhere on his schedule! Not one! 

But to get back to the point, Harry just hoped that by making the 1st year Slytherins and Gryffindors work together, now, he could stop, or at least lessen, some of the house rivalry between the two houses while they were still young. So they wouldn't have to go through what he did. Just think; what the 5th, 6th, and 7th years would do if they knew that him and Draco, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin, were lovers! They had had a hard enough time when they only showed friendship towards one another! 

Harry found himself drifting when there was a knock on the door. "Come in." Sure enough, it was the Slytherin, Duo Maxwell who came first. 

"Hiii!" /that kid is just too damn cheerful to be a Slytherin.../ Harry muttered to himself. 

Soon enough the other, Heero Yuy came in, silent as usual. Immediately he turned an icy stare onto the oddly cheerful /hyper/ Slytherin. 

"You're making the potion that you were supposed to have made in class." He told them, watching them closely to make sure they didn't do anything to each other. Not that it was likely as long as he had an eye on them. 

"Ok!" 

Heero just nodded, then returned to glaring at Duo. 

/he really needs to get a knew hobby.../ "Good. Get started." He watched as they got their cauldrons and got started. 

Then fell asleep. 

And woke up to find the boys lip-locked. It was innocent enough, but… 

"What is going on here?" he asked softly. They broke away from each other. Heero blushing, Duo with smug look on his face. /there's a change.../ 

"Nothing!" Duo exclaimed, still grinning. Heero smacked the back of his head. "Oww! I didn't say that you're nothing! I just... um." He blushed. Once again he was subjected to Heero's glare, but it didn't seem to have the same effect it usually had... 

"Have you done anything more than kissing?" /gods this is getting embarrassing!/ 

"Like what?" Duo looked up at him with seemingly innocent eyes. 

/oh thank the gods they haven't discovered sex... yet./ 

"Nothing! You'll figure it out when you're older." /hopefully much older!/ 

"So, again, what… happened here?" 

"Nothing." To Harry's surprise Duo directed a glare at him, almost as serious as Yuy's. 

Harry resisted rolling his eyes at the eleven year old. "Fine I won't tell anybody just don't get caught." 

"We won't." He said, with surprising seriousness for an eleven year old. 

"You may leave, now. Try not to get in to much trouble, ok?" 

"Ok!" Duo's smile returned and he ran out the room, dragging the darker haired boy behind him. 

/kids!/ he thought, for a moment forgetting that he was only sixteen himself. 

Mumbling to himself, feeling weary, he quickly made his way back to the room. 

Immediately he noticed the difference. He felt completely alone for the first time in six years. He was in the hands of someone who would kill him if he was aware that Harry knew his secret. His lover, friends, and family were gone, and if he attempted to contact them Dumbledore would suspect that he was working with 'the enemy'. 

Sighing to himself, Harry began to think, as he didn't feel quite as tired as he had before his 'nap'. /Where could Dumbledore have left his journal?/ At the moment he didn't have a clue, less he could convince Dumbledore to give to him so he could 'destroy' it. But, that wouldn't work because he would probably want to destroy it himself. No, that couldn't happen. He would have to think of something else. 

* * *

Chapter 17   
Chapter 19 


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 

* * *

Weeks passed and it started to get easier. The students weren't as wary of him. There hadn't been more attempts on his life. Dumbledore hadn't even pestered him on Hermione's location. Nothing happened and it was starting to make him uneasy. 

He was walking down the hallway to clean up the potions room before he went to bed when he came across Filch holding two struggling boys. Maxwell and Yuy. /of course!/ It would be those two. They had only managed to get into more trouble as time went on. While their behaviour was almost... cute when they had a detention with him, they seemed to try to annoy him just to make him give them a detention. According to everyone else, they hated each other with a passion and could not pass up a reason to fight. None of the others teachers seemed to know how to handle them, other than giving them more detentions. In the end they always sent them to him, and him, not wanting to upset a relationship just starting, didn't do anything about it, so long as they didn't get into more serious trouble than they always were. However, outside of detention they were entirely different. He would have believed their act himself if he had not seen the truth. 

The situation was all too familiar. 

With a sigh, he continued down the hallway to see what was going on. 

"Filch!" He shouted and was delighted when the man flinched and turned around. /It's been a while since I've been able get under someone's skin.../ Harry admitted that he enjoyed 'torturing' people a bit. He still remembered when he snuck into Ron's bed as a snake. /he deserved it, the bastard./ 

"Damn Slytherins!" he heard him utter. Harry froze. Filch had said that before. 

(flashback) 

"Potter. Out of bed so late?" Filch barked. 

Panicked, Harry tried to hide the cloak under his robes. Luckily, he didn't seem to notice the movement. "Yes, sir. Umm... I was-" going out of his mind trying to find the right excuse. But the opportunity to get away presented itself before he could. 

"I thought I told to get to your room, Potter." It was funny watching Filches head pop up. 

"You knew?" Filch. 

"Potter was with me, making up a potion." Snape glared at the squalid man. 

"But, Professor, he's in the hall at 2:00!" 

/2:00!/ Harry thought in surprise. Draco and him had talked longer than he thought. 

"I now what time it is!" Snape hissed. /Why is he defending me?/ Come to think about it, he had been acting weird lately. "Potter. Get to your dorm now." He turned his glare on the boy, before the look turned to something else. Harry turned and left before he got the chance to analyse it. He had enough for that day and desperately wanted his bed. 

"Slytherins!" Harry heard Filch mutter behind his back. He nearly turned back in shock, but no, Filch was probably just referring to Snape. 

(end flashback) 

But he had said 'Slytherins'. Plural. He had been the only person aside from Severus who had been there. 

/Does Filch know something?/ Harry asked himself while he stared at the man. Filch was staring right back at him, with an odd look on his face. 

"You finally know, don't you," was what the man said after a moment. 

"Know about what?" He didn't want to give too much away in case it was trick. 

Filch dropped the two boys who quickly ran in the opposite direction, only stopping to look back once, confused. However, they weren't going to question that no one appeared to be coming after them. 

"Do you know about Voldemort, or yourself?" Filches muddy grey eyes bored into his own. 

"Yes. Both. How do you know?" Harry questioned him. 

"I've been here for a long time, Slytherin. No one notices me." 

"I guess." /I almost feel guilty. If it wasn't for all the detentions I've been given with the man.../ 

"Whose side are you on, boy?" He sneered. 

"Why would I tell you?" 

"Because, personally, I don't care. It's not as if I'm going to live much longer. But, I think I have something-" he reached down into his robes and pulled out a note. Handing it to Harry, "here, Snape might need this." 

"Why-" 

"I told you, my life is forfeit. It doesn't matter." he cut Harry off. "Besides, boy, you don't need to have magic to know how to make a potion. I assure you Snape isn't the only potions master around here," He hissed. "And about Dumbledore, he is up to something, though you being an idiot haven't noticed. I refuse do everything for you, so you are on your own from now and will have to find out for yourself. Also, it would very much be a bad faith to trust that he is entirely on his own." He started to walk off. "Now I just have to find a home for Mrs. Norris," Filch muttered as he turned the corner. 

Harry stared in shock at the parchment in his hand. After a moment, he found the courage to open it, only to quickly close it in his hand, running to the room. 

Slamming the door, he looked again. He couldn't believe it! 

Filch had possibly given him the way to cure Severus! All ingredients listed, what they did, how to brew them. 

/but how did he know.../ And was Dumbledore in on it? 

Harry felt overwhelmed! All this at once. What did Filch have to do with this? Why did he seem know everything that had happened? Why hadn't he said anything earlier!? Harry suddenly felt furious at the man. He obviously knew and didn't do anything! Until now. 

There was a knock at the door and Harry quickly shoved the piece of parchment into his pocket. "Come in," he yelled. 

"Don't yell, boy. Try to be respectable." Dumbledore said as he walked through the door. 

"I knew it was you. What do you want?" 

"I've brought someone that I knew you would want to see." Harry could tell by the smile on his face that something was wrong. Seriously... wrong. But he could not figure out what. He did not have to wait long though. 

With that, Dumbledore stepped aside to reveal- 

/Draco./ 

* * *

  
(flashback) 

Dumbledore stood still in front of the fire, shocked. 

"But why?" He questioned the face in the flames. 

"It is the perfect way to secure the boy to us. He won't have a reason to turn to Voldemort." 

"He has been acting stranger than usual..." 

"Having Weasly rape one of his best friends would do that to a guy." Sarcasm. 

"She had a bad influence on him." 

"She was a mudblood." 

"I thought you agreed to give them a chance." 

"I'm trying to, Dumbledore. I am still grateful for your trust in me." 

"I do trust you." Dumbledore sighed. "But the boy; I do not agree with his... preference. This would be telling him there's nothing wrong and that he can do whatever he likes." 

"I agree with you on this, but it will work a lot better than attacking him. It would make a perfect distraction." 

"Yes but-" 

"Don't you want this? It will get you want you want." 

"Yes, what I want." 

"The power." 

"Yes, power." 

* * *

Lucius sighed and pulled his head from the flames. "I will get him out of the way, if it is the last thing I do." /they will see to it.../ He felt a pair of arms slowly wrap around him from behind. 

"You'll do it. I know you will." She smiled before going around him, only to straddle his hips in the chair, laying her arms on his chest. Lucius placed his hands on her hips. "My brother doesn't stand a chance." 

* * *

  
(end flashback) 

Draco ran the second he heard the ward alarms go off, Blaise close behind him. They had been at a debriefing for the search for Lucius. It was not going well. He was as good as dead to the world at the moment. 

"What do you think it is?" Blaise asked, just as out of breath as he was. Silently a couple of death eaters that had been in the area swept after them, aware of the urgency. 

"Don't know." /maybe Harry is back.../ silently he pleaded that it was true. 

They reached the front corridor, wands drawn, ready to attack if it was an enemy. 

They found a cloaked figure waiting for them. 

Abruptly stopped, they silently waited for the person to make he first move. 

It tossed its hood off to reveal Hermione. 

Blaise immediately rushed forward to embrace her. She met him halfway. 

* * *

  
(Blaise & Hermione's room) 

"What happened?" Draco questioned her. Actually, it sounded like he was close to pleading. Why was she here when Harry was not? 

"Harry made me leave," was all she said. 

"But why?!" He was quickly loosing patience with her. 

Hermione had shown up, out of nowhere, without Harry. He was glad that she seemed to be ok, but for some reason she was making it very difficult to get any information out of her. She refused to talk. "Harry made me leave" was the first thing Hermione had even said so far. 

"Don't yell at her Draco!" For the first time in a long while Blaise felt irritated by Draco's presence. He wished that he would leave. 

"But she won't tell me what happened! How would you feel if the Harry had come back and the one you loved was stuck by herself with that psychopathic nut job! Not to mention Lucius is still out there." Draco sneered. 

"But don't take it out on Hermione." He still held her close. Hermione didn't say anything more, just held onto her lover. 

"I wouldn't if she wasn't such a mudblood." Draco hissed angrily and abruptly jumped up, slamming the door behind him. 

* * *

"Draco?" Harry stood completely still, in shock. Draco walked forward and through his arms around Harry's neck. 

"Yes, Harry. I've decided to renounce Voldemort. I decided I would rather be with you. I'm so sorry for what I did, Harry." The boy started sobbing. 

/Did? But, he hasn't... Maybe Hermione told him our cover story when she got back.../ Hesitantly he wrapped his arms around Draco. 

"How did you get here?" Harry asked in wonder. Surely, Dumbledore would not have trusted him enough to accept him back, no matter what Draco had told him. 

"He has agreed to leave Voldemort's side." Dumbledore butted back into the conversation. "He's finally come to his senses and has agreed to go home." Dumbledore's eyes had that annoying twinkle in them. 

Harry did not trust Dumbledore for a second. But was Draco putting on an act for the old man, or was there really something odd going on? 

/his father.../ Harry thought. "Wait! Draco can't go back to his father!" Harry exclaimed. 

"I don't see why not Mr. Potter. He has been generous enough to not disown young Draco for his association former with Voldemort. He will be glad to have his son back." 

"But..." / he cannot go back… Why would Draco agree to this?/ But he was soon distracted by Draco's lips claiming his. 

Dumbledore coughed quietly. "I guess I give you... some... alone time." And with that, Dumbledore left closing the door behind him. 

"I'm so glad to be back, you have no idea what it felt like for me to have you gone for so long." Draco murmured after pulling out of the kiss, just leaving his arms slung around Harry's neck. 

"I glad to have you back, too, Draco." He leaned forward for another kiss. Harry wanted this so much... "How are the others?" 

"Others?" Draco looked confused for a second, but then it was gone. "Fine. Just Fine." He looked around. "The Room of Requirement? I'm surprised you decided to stay here." 

"Of course. When so many of the students are out for your blood, you need a good hiding place." He brought Draco over to sit in the middle of the one bed in the room. The extra bed and desk had disappeared after Hermione left. 

"So Dumbledore still refuses to leave you alone." 

"Of course. I might turn evil if I'm not watched at every moment." He sighed, rolling his eyes heavenwards. 

"You mean you're not?" Draco looked a bit peeved. 

"Nope. I don't think so." Harry grinned at the blond boy in front of him. "Unless you want me to be evil. Then I thing I can make an exception." 

Draco looked nervous. "How have you been, Harry." 

"Terrible. Between teaching and dealing with Dumbledore on the side, terrible." He sighed. 

"It can't be that bad. Besides I'm here now." He grinned 

"Yes." Harry returned the grin. He leaned in to kiss Draco but he pulled away. 

"Umm, I don't think we should do this here, Harry." Draco stared, uncertainly at the blanket under them. 

"I only wanted to kiss you, Draco. It's not like you weren't kissing me a moment ago." Harry sounded slightly irritated. Draco had never rejected him before. At least not since they got together. 

"I know. I was just caught up in the moment." Suddenly Draco leaned in to kiss him but then there was a knock at the door. "Maybe you should get that. I'll be in the bathroom." Draco slid off the bed, almost tripping on his robes, and made his way into the bathroom. 

Harry sighed than got up to answer the door. /am I going to get no peace tonight!/ 

"I'm coming!" Harry yelled. He was starting to get another headache. 

It was Filch. "What?!" he almost hissed. 

"here." abruptly Harry was handed a box, almost dropping it. 

"Wh-" 

"Hagrid agreed to take Mrs. Norris, but wouldn't take them. Think he was afraid he might sit on them," He sneered, revealing yellowed teeth. 

Harry uncovered the box to reveal... kittens. Filch was giving him two kittens! 

"What am I supposed to do with them?!" He asked, incredulously. He looked down at the sleeping balls of fluff. /they are kind of cute though.../ 

"How should I know, boy." Suddenly Filch motioned for him to be quiet. Harry heard the sound of the shower. "Who else is here?" he looked almost panicked. 

"Draco showed up." Harry shrugged. 

"Malfoy's son, you say?" Filch returned to staring at him. 

"Yes. It was a surprise for me too." 

Filch's stare quickly turned sour. "Have I told you nothing!?" 

Harry raised an eyebrow. "No... you haven't. Though I am grateful that you helped me with Severus. I think I'll send it back with Draco. It will be hard to explain his absence to Dumbledore, though. I strongly doubt that Dumbledore really trusts him. Though I guess once he's gone it won't really matter." 

"You are an idiot." Filch said dryly before abruptly leaving. 

Harry stood staring at the door when the small creatures in the box stirred. 

Harry watched as the furballs woke then found a place to sit with them. Once on the couch he scooped them out and placed them in the middle and sat cross-legged in front of them. One was jet black with silver eyes and the other had light tan with bright green eyes. Surprisingly, neither looked like their mother. /they must have had different fathers/ he thought while they walked on the cushion, occasionally sniffing him curiously. After a minute they went back to sleep. Harry got up and transfigured his transfiguration book into a cat bed, then laid them in it beside the couch. They barely stirred when he moved them. /they're so small/ they had been no bigger than his hand. Though, they must have been old enough to separate from the mother, since filch had no problem with giving them to him. 

Which brought his thoughts back to Filch. Why was he doing any of this? Why did he seem to know what was happening? Moreover, why was he helping him? 

Harry's thoughts where cut off when the bathroom door opened. Draco came out already dressed, much to Harry's disappointment. 

"Did something happen while I was out?" Draco had noticed him sitting on the floor beside the couch. 

"Just Filch. He's been acting strange lately. He gave me his cats." /maybe Draco would like them.../ But- 

"Ew!" Draco sneered. "I can't stand those creatures." 

"What do you mean? They're just kittens, Draco. Come look." But Draco refused to come any closer and got into the bed. 

Harry shrugged and got in to join him. Maybe he didn't know Draco as well as he thought he did. He had really thought Draco would like them... 

Then for the entire night Draco stayed on his side of the bed. He didn't so much as touch Harry for the rest of the night. 

* * *

  
(Riddle Castle a couple days later) 

"I'm telling you something is wrong with her, she isn't herself." Draco whispered to Blaise. 

"Leave it alone, Draco." He was poring over reports that had been sent to them from various deatheaters. They had nothing. Nothing on Lucius. Nothing against Dumbledore. Nothing to help Snape. 

"Since when have we kept secrets from each other?! For the past few months you have been my family not even my mother is as close, even though I do love her. So why now? What's changed!?" Draco had thrown down his papers and stood directly in front of him. 

"Dumbledore tried to have her raped!" Blaise finally looked at Draco, and finally showed the anxiety he was feeling. 

Draco was silent for a moment, before speaking. "You could have told me that, Blaise. I would have understood." He said quietly. 

"I know, but for some reason she didn't want me to tell you. She had me promise." 

"She'll get over it." /hopefully/ 

"I hope so. I don't know what to do for her." His steel blue eyes glared at the offending papers is front of him. "You don't seem to be shocked," Blaise said simply. 

"I never trusted him in the first place. I never understood how anyone could trust him. His manipulativeness is so obvious I'm surprised no one has had the sense to notice before." Draco paused. "I'm thinking about getting Harry out of there. I don't like the thought of him being there alone. With Him." 

Blaise nodded, understanding. 

* * *

  
(Hogwarts) 

/What is wrong with Draco!? Did Dumbledore do something to him?/ Harry questioned himself as he walked around the hall, after first taking care of the kittens. Draco still refused to be near them. 

One of the perks of being the teacher was no curfew. 

That morning he had tried to join Draco in the shower. Big mistake. As soon as Draco noticed him coming in he pushed Harry out, not even so much as looking at him when he hit the stone floor. He had been lucky enough to healing potions on hand in the ROR (AN: yes. I got tired of writing it out), as he seemed to be needing them a lot lately. 

Every time he tried to initiate something, anything, Draco would ignore him or push him. He couldn't even hug him anymore. Draco would always just say that he just didn't feel like it or that Dumbledore was watching, but even if he didn't, he did not have to hit him! Why was he doing this now! The last time that Harry could remember Draco actually hurting him was back in their fifth year, when Harry tried to kiss him for the first time. Never again had he touched him in order to hurt him since. Draco didn't make any since anymore! 

Harry decided it was time to go to breakfast; maybe he would be able to get Draco to talk to him then. /please tell me he's acting for Dumbledore.../ Harry pleaded with himself; he wouldn't be able to take it if Draco was going to do this to him! He couldn't bring himself to defend against Draco... he loved him too much to raise a hand to him in retaliation. No, he refused to push the person he loved. He just wished Draco felt the same. 

Other that this, Draco had been acting completely normal. 

Sure enough, he was there in the Great Hall. 

Sitting at the Head Table. 

Harry quickly headed to the chair beside him, ignoring the stares. It was like every time him and Draco were seen together the entire room got quieter. 

"You're finally awake, Harry." Draco grinned at him. 

"I wish I could say it was because you tired me out, but I've been up for awhile. I took a walk. Not that you noticed." Harry muttered, clearly irritated. 

Draco's smile fell. "I'm sorry Harry. I know why you're mad, but Dumbledore is still watching us. We don't need to give him anything more against us," he whispered. "Why do you think I'm sitting here? He vividly told me when I came back here that he would never quit watching me, as long as I am here. He wants me under his thumb and made me stay up here. He doesn't trust me as it is and I want to stay here, Harry. With you." 

"But, he already knows were together, Draco! It's not going to make any difference." Harry turned his green eyes to glare at his 'lover'. Just because he refused to push him back didn't mean he wouldn't let Draco know when he was pissed at him. 

"I know. I just don't feel like rubbing it in his face." Draco returned to his plate, clearly depressed. "I really do want to, Harry. I miss you." 

"You don't have to miss me. It's not like he can see into the Room of Requirement. We can still be ourselves... have fun..." Harry smirked at the other boy, who was still staring at his plate. He had been trying to get a rise out of him, but no, it didn't work. "He already knows that I don't want anymore to do with him. He hasn't, and probably won't, do anything about it. At least until he wants me to kill Voldemort." 

"Are you so sure Harry? How do you really know he doesn't about know everything that's been going on?" Draco looked pointedly stared at him. 

"Fine, I'll drop it. For now, anyway." /if that were true then Dumbledore would know everything that we haven't told him.../ 

* * *

Chapter 18   
Chapter 20 


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 

* * *

(a couple days later) 

/I'm really getting tired of this! I have no idea if this guy is really the love of my life or simply a pet of Dumbledore's. It could just be an act that Draco is putting on for Dumbledore, or is it Dumbledore trying to pull me in... again?/ Harry lied on his bed seething. Harry had no idea what to think. Filch himself had referred to Harry as an idiot. Maybe he was right. He was getting nowhere, just like Dumbledore would have wanted it. He hadn't found the time to seriously think about where the journal had been hidden. He still had no idea what Draco was up to, if it was even really Draco. 

Actually, it just occurred to him he did not really want to get close to this Draco. He didn't trust him. 

However, what if it was Draco and there really was a reason for his secretiveness. Maybe Dumbledore really was able to watch everything that happened. But if that was the case... 

Harry rubbed at his temples, furiously. He could feel another of those headaches coming on. 

/Damn it!/ He held in a scream of frustration. Draco was sleeping in the bed right next to his. 

Yes. The room had changed once again, to accommodate them. The beds now even had curtains! /the better to hide behind!/ 

Suddenly Harry laughed to himself. /I'm a bleeding potions professor! A potions professor (at least for the moment), and I am allowing myself to lie down and wait out the pain! I could do something about it, without going to Pomfrey for once./ 

"Harry?" A tired voice asked him. 

"Nothing!" he knew that his tone was probably more biting than it needed to be, but he was tired of this. He felt useless and now he finally found something he could do. Or at least something he was competent enough at doing... even if he was nowhere near the best. He wouldn't be held back. 

Harry pushed himself of the bed; a rather crafty smile graced him face. 

The kittens, which had taken to sleeping in his bed, growled in irritation at having been disturbed. 

Harry knew what he would do after he made himself something to cure him of that damned headache of his. 

He would go ahead and make the potion for Snape. Never mind waiting to get Him to take the instructions to the others. Harry would do it himself. 

Then he would renew his campaign against Dumbledore. 

* * *

  
(a couple days later) 

Harry slid down the corridor, like the snake that he currently was. 

He had dismissed his class early, as they had finished ahead of time. It gave him the perfect time to follow through with his plan, as the class was right before the lunch period. He just had to keep from being seen. As far as he knew Dumbledore didn't know of his animagus form; he hoped that if he was found that Dumbledore would think him an ordinary snake. 

First things first, he had to find the elusive headmaster. He decided his office would be the first place to find him. 

Harry waited against a wall in the shadows for several minutes before he heard voices. 

Someone was coming out! He pulled back further into the shadows. 

"-as not said anything to me." They came around the corner. Draco! 

"Well keep trying." Came the snappish reply, from none other that the headmaster, Dumbledore, himself. 

"I am! He does not trust me. I-" he was abruptly cut off by the old man in front of him. 

"Quiet! This is not the place to be discussing this." His shifty eyes scanned to hallway, finding nothing, but you could never be to sure. 

Harry hissed quietly to himself. /well that answers my question./ He was right in his decision to not trust him. He couldn't bring himself to be surprised that Dumbledore try to give him an impostor. 

It just made him more depressed. He had hoped that it was his Draco; so that he wouldn't alone anymore. 

He watched as the pretender walked away, leaving Dumbledore standing in the hallway alone. 

After a few more seconds the started moving, with Harry a few feet behind ready to fall into the shadows, if need be. 

After walking the halls for a few more minutes the headmaster, turned towards the great hall. 

Harry broke away and slithered to the nearest bathroom. This was not going to be the day that he would find the journal, unless he found another chance to follow the man. 

* * *

Sure enough at the end of the day when Harry waltzed back to the ROR, 'Draco' was waiting for him. 

"Harry!" He leapt up from where he had been studying over his books. "I haven't seen you all day." He reached to pull Harry into a hug, but he was evaded. 

"Not now, Draco." He was pleased when he saw the confused look on the other boys face. 

"But-" 

"No. All of a sudden you want to be around me? To touch me?" Harry smirked. He boyfriend was rubbing off on him. "Well now, I don't want to be around you." He pulled of his cloak, tossing it on the couch, before lying on his back on the bed. The kittens, which had been sleeping on his bed, as was their habit when Harry wasn't around, rubbed against him purring. /at least someone wants me!/ Grinning, he reached down to rub the black ones fur. /I really should give them names/ he thought to himself. Something Draco would like, since still planned to give them to him. The real Draco... Harry smiled sadly to himself. He missed his so much, and this imitator did not do his Draco justice. He was surprised he hadn't noticed the differences before. 

'Draco' watched the scene in irritation. "I told you, I just didn't want Dumbledore to get the wrong idea! But I want you so much..." he pleaded with the boy on the bed coming closer till he was right beside the bed. 

"I think I'll name you Gemini." Harry rubbed the black furred kitten, who purred back. /now I just have to come up with a name for the other little one.../ He was having fun with this. He knew very well that he was irritating the boy in front of him by ignoring him. "Hmm... Shiro. That's a good name for you." He laughed when the pale kitten stared at him with emerald green eyes. 

"Will you talk to me for one second?" Harry looked up at him, then glancing quickly at his watch he got up. 

"Sorry, Draco. I have something I need to do." He said, picking up Gemini and Shiro in his arms. He left the baffled boy staring after him in. 

"I really need a break." Harry whispered to one of the cats in his arms. 

He walked down to the Slytherin dungeons. 

* * *

Harry awkwardly knocked on the door; not easy when your arms are full. 

"Who is it?" came a voice from the other side. 

"Me. I come baring gifts." Harry smirked as Ethan opened the door to let him in. He let the kittens down once in the room and they walked around the room. 

"What, no Draco?" Ethan asked when Harry closed the door behind him. 

"Of course not," was all Harry said, flopping down in the nearest empty couch. 

"What's Potter doing back here," He heard a thick voice. Harry looked up to see Crabbe, who had been at the door to the boys' dorm, glaring at him. Goyle, on the other hand, appeared to be running from Gemini. Once Gemini had him running in one direction, Shiro would cut him off and send him running back in her brother's direction. They continued like that, causing Harry to laugh, ignoring Crabbe. 

"I should bring them down here more oft-" He was cut of when someone pounced on him. 

"Professor Potter!" After getting over having the air knock he looked up to see who had pounced on him. Duo Maxwell. 

"Hello, Maxwell." Harry said to the boy who had wrapped his arms around the older boy. "I do need to breathe, you know," he wheezed. 

"Sorry!" He grinned up at him, before leaping off him, before running back to his room. 

"He sure has taken to you." Ethan said. 

Harry shrugged. It wasn't his right to talk about someone else's business, without permission. 

"Typical." He grinned. "I don't know why he seems to like you so much. Duo's nice enough to the rest of us, but won't open up to any of us. We know nothing about him, so far." 

Harry nodded. /I'm guessing that doesn't included Heero/ "So, where's your girlfriend." 

"She's mad at me. Keller refuses to be in the same room as me." He sighed. 

"You know she hates being called 'Keller'." Harry had been there when Crabbe mistakenly called her by her given name. He had spent the next week in the infirmary having hallucinations. 

"I know," Ethan growled. "Kel hates you." 

/it's only one more person on the list/ "Let me guess. She believes I am evil." 

"No. She thinks you're giving Slytherin a good name. She thinks that we should keep to ourselves. Kel doesn't like mixing with other houses. Especially 'Harry 'Perfect' Potter: The-Boy-Who-Lived'. So until I come around to her thinking we're taking a break." 

Harry snorted. "That's a new one." 

Ethan laughed. "It's been pretty boring around here without you guys. I'm glad you're back, but what's wrong with Draco. He hasn't been down here once; it's not like him. Also I'm surprised that he hasn't tried to kill Millicent yet, who is asleep by the way." 

"Thankfully." He didn't feel like dealing with her. He sighed. "I don't know what to do about Draco. I don't believe he's-." 

"Harry!" For the second time that evening he found himself attacked to someone else. The sickeningly sweet perfume that reached his nose told him who it was before he even looked. 

"Oh. It's you. Do you know what clothes are?! Get off!" He frantically pushed at her. This time she had chosen to wear Harry's worst nightmare. Nothing. Actually, there was a robe. 

Much good that did. It was open. 

Ethan was making gagging motions in the background. 

"What is wrong with you?!" Millicent yelled. "You have a perfectly good peace of female anatomy right in front of you. Can you honestly say I don't turn you on?" While saying this she ran her hand slowly over her body. Harry grabbed her hand before it went below her waist. 

/doesn't she have any modesty!/ "No! You don't! Can't you take a hint?!" 

"How can you like Draco more than me?! I understand, he's so incredibly fuckable," both her and Harry shuddered, but for different reasons, "but He. Is. A. Boy! So are you!" 

Harry glared at her. "I. Know. What I don't know is how you got the impression that I liked you!" 

"That would be my mistake." Ethan broke into their 'conversation'. "Sorry. I thought it would be funny." 

"Ethan!" 

"What?! I'm sorry. I told you I was bored..." He shrugged. "I just didn't think she would take me seriously." 

"Well she did!" 

"I'm right here! I knew that you loved me before Ethan said anything. Pansy told me, you were just to shy to say anything. But you've changed so much! You're ready to be with me now." Millicent smiled hopefully, using her other hand to run down his chest, pressing against him. Harry grabbed that hand too then flipped her around so that he had her arms wrapped around her chest and he was holding her wrist from behind. 

"Where are the girls' dorms?" 

Ethan pointed. 

Harry pushed the heavily protesting girl through the door and locked it behind her. 

Harry returned to his seat. "My poor eyes..." He said dramatically, covering said body part. 

"Yours aren't the only ones." Ethan had returned to watching Goyle, who had passed out after running in circles for to long. Gemini and Shiro had curled up on his chest, looking like the symbol 'Yin/Yang'. 

"You only have yourself to blame." 

"That's true." He trailed off. "She isn't quite as bad as Pansy was though. She had actually managed to sneak her way into Draco's bed one time. She hated you with a passion after she learned that you had gotten Draco before she had." 

"I don't blame her. He would be a hard person to loose. He didn't have anything against her when she died." 

Ethan nodded. 

* * *

When Harry finally returned to his room He was sleep, thankfully. 

Harry pulled out a sleeping drought and crept over to the bed. He eased the curtain open, only pausing when the other boy started to move. Luckily he settled after a second, none the wiser of the person standing over him as he slept. It occurred to Harry to slip him veritaserum and go ahead and find out what the boy knew, but that might alert Dumbledore of foul play too early. Harry only needed for him to sleep a little while longer. 

Harry gently tipped his chin up and was greeted with a loud snore. Harry sneered at him. Draco snored occasionally but never this badly. Draco's snores where just enough to lull a person to sleep, not wake a coma victim. While the mouth was open he slipped in the potion. After momentarily choking it went down smoothly. Harry threw the test tube in a corner, listening to the loud shatter. Not even a flinched. 

Satisfied, Harry cleaned up the mess. 

It was time to start the potion. 

* * *

Draco woke to find Hermione standing over him. 

"What are you doing here?" He hissed, annoyed at having his sleep interrupted. Draco was quieted when she slowly placed a finger on his lips. 

"Shh..." Hermione removed the finger only to replace it with her lips. "No need for words, Draco. Just let it happen." 

He felt himself responding to her advances. Draco felt his arms wrap around her soft body, pulling her closer to him. 

* * *

"No need for words, Draco. Just let it happen. Touch me." 

He felt himself responding to Hermione's advances. Draco felt his arms wrap around her soft body, pulling her closer to him. 

"What are you doing?" What was he doing? 

"There's always been something between us, Draco. The animosity... It's just turned into something more." 

"I don't want this." But all the same he began undressing her, caressing her skin as he went. 

"It doesn't matter. You will do this, for me. Look at me." He did. Draco found he couldn't pull his eyes away from her. 

/if I can't have one I'll have the other/ 

An image of a snake flashed before Draco's eyes, but then it was gone. 

"What are you doing to me?" 

"What I want." Hermione was pulling him guiding him on top of her, when- 

"What are you doing to her!?" Draco saw Blaise as he slammed the door into the wall opposite. Draco was still moving his hands over Hermione as he stared blankly at Blaise. 

"Stop." Hermione whispered in his ear and he felt himself do so. She pushed him off of her and ran to her fiancé, in tears. "He was going to rape me," she whispered as she clung to him. 

Blaise felt a rage at his former best friend as his lover clung to him. How dare Draco even think about touching her. And to do this to Harry, the one he supposedly loved. He had betrayed them all. 

"I don't know what happened-" Draco pleaded with him, trembling as he wrapped his arms around himself. Harry would never forgive him for something like this, he did not doubt that. 

That didn't stop Blaise's anger as he lunged at Draco, hitting every part he could reach. /I will never let Hermione be hurt by anyone. Not again.../ 

He pulled Hermione out of the room and left Draco shaking on the bed, terrified. 

* * *

/just as planned.../ 

* * *

(days later) 

"Get off of me!" Harry hissed. He had woken up with Malfoy on top of him. He knew that he couldn't continue to call him 'impostor' and calling him Draco was definitely out of the question. 

"Why?" the boy on top of him chuckled. 

"Because you irritate me." 

"We never talk anymore." He pouted. 

"Because you like to keep secrets." Malfoy looked mildly hurt. /and because you act nothing like Draco./ "Besides, isn't it time for you to get to class?" He raised an eyebrow at the boy laying on top him. 

"Yeah." he sighed and reluctantly got off so he could get dressed in time. He had something to do that day. 

What Malfoy didn't know was that Harry didn't plan to teach that day. He had called in a favour. 

* * *

Once Draco left, still feigning to be hurt, Harry quickly dressed. 

After changing, Harry made his way, once towards Dumbledore's office. It was still his best bet on where to find him. 

He had to avoid nearly being stepped on by a couple of students wondering the halls. They didn't notice the long black cobra that slithered between their heals. 

Just as Harry made it to the office door, after nearly being stepped on by a few more students, he found Dumbledore creeping out of his office door. 

Really, he was actually creeping! 

/not to subtle, are you/ He was really surprised that none of the Slytherins seemed to notice. Harry hadn't gotten the chance to find out anything from anyone of the other houses because, outside of class, most people in the other houses avoided him like the plague. 

Following the entirely non-subtle man, who was apparently cackling quietly, Harry couldn't help laughing to himself. So this was what Dumbledore was like when no-one else was around… 

Harry was glad for having devious friends in low places, the dungeons, at times like this. Ethan had agreed to take his place with the use of pulyjuice potion for the day, no questions asked. It was payback for his stunt with Millicent. It left Harry free to do what he wanted without anyone knowing he was absent; he doubted that Malfoy would know the difference. The rumour was that Ethan had a 24 hour cold and decided to simply stay in bed. Pomfrey wouldn't bother him as long as she didn't catch him up and about. 

After meandering around for about a half hour, the old man seemed to find a resting place. At that moment Harry noticed how tired he looked. He still looked like the calculating bastard Harry knew him to be, just tired. Resting against the wall, he saw Dumbledore pull out a vial of pure red liquid. After drinking it down, he changed. It could only be explained as revitalized, as a red glow surrounded him. 

/what the.../ Harry had no idea what to think about what he just saw. What had been in that vial? 

After a second more the glow dissipated. Dumbledore suddenly got up and Harry had to hurry to catch up. 

Sure enough Dumbledore came to another stopping point. The room of requirement. 

* * *

Harry started to follow him inside but then a voice sounded behind them. 

"Still at it, Albus..." 

/damn, he has the worse timing.../ It was Filch, staring right at him. Harry had no idea whose side was he on. Then, he had helped Harry, but now he seemed to be stopping him from finding what he needed to do away with Dumbledore. 

"What do you want, Filch." Dumbledore didn't sound any happier with Filch than Harry felt. 

"My, my... such a tone to take with someone so like yourself..." Filch grinned, letting his yellowed teeth show. 

"We will never be alike. I know what I'm getting myself into, you didn't. You jumped in head first, without thinking about the consequences." 

"You know not what you are talking about. While what you say is somewhat true, you are actually worse off than I am. I understand what I did, but do you? Does it even matter to you, anymore? You never would have done this before..." 

"I do what I must. It is for the good of everyone." 

"That's what you are supposed to think. Try using that mind of yours and get yourself out!" Filch's sneering grin had turned pleading. It was a look that Harry never thought that he would see on the man's face. "If you don't, I assure you I won't be there to help you." 

"This is betrayal, Argus!" 

"Of course this is betrayal. I simply refuse to care, anymore. Don't come crying to me when everything falls down at your feet; I won't be there." Filch slouched off down the hall. 

Dumbledore turned back to the door, staring at it reproachfully. Indecision. Harry waited until he grabbed the doorknob. Voices sounded down the hallway. Class must have ended. 

Instead of entering, Dumbledore pulled away. He glanced behind him once before leaving the way he came. Harry did not follow him. 

He could have sworn that the man's eyes had been trained on him. Had Dumbledore seen him? Did he know it was him? 

* * *

Chapter 19   
Chapter 21 


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 

* * *

/damn that imbecile!/ Dumbledore thought as left for the great hall; lunch was about to begin. /damn him and that brat to hell!/ 

What would Argus do? What did he mean? Dumbledore couldn't understand it. 

Why would he go against their cause? Once upon a time, it was Filch who had introduced him to Lucius. Lucius had given them everything and this is how he betrayed him!? 

It didn't matter, he would get his... 

Dumbledore happened to glance out a passing window. /what is she doing outside?!/ 

* * *

Harry slithered into the dungeons where he knew Ethan would be waiting for him. 

"Potter?" he heard as he transformed into his normal self. Clothes intact, thanks to the complete animagus spell. 

"How did it go?" he asked, scanning the room, as he should have done ahead of time. 

"Torture, as I'm sure you knew. You're an animagus?" Harry just stared at him before Ethan shrugged and fell onto the nearest couch. 

"I ran into some trouble and I need you to do it again." 

"Fine." 

"'Fine'? That's it? No 'what am I doing'? No 'this could get me in trouble'?" 

Ethan raised an eyebrow at him. "What did you expect? For someone who is so Slytherin you should have known better." 

Harry shrugged before dropping on the couch opposite of the other boy, as he had done so many times before. "Even Draco questions." 

"He's your lover. He wants to protect you, whether he knows it or not." 

"Yeah." 

"By the way, what is wrong with Draco. You never did explain it to me." He looked surprisingly curious. 

"That, among other things was your fault. I was going to tell you." 

"And how was it my fault?" 

"Millicent." 

"Figures..." He sighed before sinking further into the chair. 

Harry smirked. "What do you think is wrong with Draco?" 

"How should I know? That why I'm asking you, moron." 

"Your girlfriend rubbing off on you?" 

"I wish she was." He ran his fingers through his hair. "She still refuses to talk to me." 

"So sorry." Not really, as she could be a real bitch, but if Ethan liked her... "But about Draco, he-" but he was interrupted when the door slammed open. 

Draco -no- Malfoy was standing there. /how did he find me?/ "What are you doing here?" 

"Harry can I speak with you? Please!?" Harry saw the pleading look on the other boys face. While he still didn't trust him, there was no way he could trust him, he did feel a twinge of sympathy. Just a twinge, really. 

"Why not?" Harry shrugged and pushed himself up, reluctantly. 

"Thank you!" The impostor latched onto him, but Harry quickly pushed him off. 

"Not now. I'm still mad at you." 

Crestfallen, he just nodded and went out the door with Harry following him. 

"See you later." he heard Ethan say and he closed the door behind him. 

"Yeah." he muttered to himself. 

* * *

  
(flashback) 

Draco had no idea what to do, as he lay there pondering to himself. He could stay here and face Blaise's wrath, though how he deserved it, or he could do... Something else? Could he lie to Harry, put all the blame on Granger? No, Blaise could tell him the truth that than Draco would be in an even worse predicament than he already was. 

Maybe he should tell Harry. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad if he heard about what had happened straight from him... 

He had to get out... 

But Draco knew that he was fooling himself. Harry would kill him for this, or at least as good as dead. And Harry would be devastated... but would that be better than him not knowing? 

(end flashback)   


* * *

"Once again, Draco, what do you want." Harry folded his arms across his chest as he leaned against the bedpost of his bed. 

"I want to say sorry." 

"Anything else." Harry wasn't going to go easy on him, even if he didn't want to give it away that he knew that he wasn't the real Draco. 

"I don't know what else to say!" he said, tears forming. Harry almost believed they were real. "I don't know how to make you believe me! I'm sorry for ignoring you." /...I don't want to die.../ 

"Then why did you continue, even when you knew you hurt me." 

"I didn't know what else to do!" He slumped on the floor in front of him, really crying this time. Harry jerked his head at the person in surprise. Was he really saying that or was it still and act? 

"I didn't know..." 

/I will not die.../ was the only thought as the boy launched himself at Harry. 

* * *

Draco didn't know what to expect when he entered Hogwarts, definitely not Dumbledore welcoming him in as if he hadn't left. 

Then the old man had the nerve to demand why he was outside Hogwarts borders. He was the one who expelled him! /there goes my plan of sneaking in.../ 

"I needed to get a breath of fresh air." Why not play along. If the man thought he had been there than he had been there. He wasn't about to argue. 

Dumbledore looked bemused for a second. "Very well. But don't stay out here long. You still have work to do." 

"I know." Would Dumbledore buy that? He must have because he was already entering the castle. 

"Bastard," he muttered to himself. He decided to stay outside for another minute or so. It was torture, knowing what would happen when he went in. but he knew that he couldn't avoid it. 

/stop kicking yourself! It happened./ Almost happened /There's nothing you can do about it.../ 

Resigned, he walked into the castle. He went to where he knew Harry was most likely to be. It was still dinner time and he doubted that Harry would join the others, wanting alone time. 

Draco stopped for a second, in the corridor. /it's ironic/ Draco thought, /he knew Harry so well, loved him enough to do anything for him, yet he could still do this.../ He felt tears come to his eyes, but quickly wiped them away. Harry would not see him broken, no matter if he felt that way. He would try to be strong. 

But the first thing he saw when he entered to room made him forget that. 

He couldn't possibly be strong as he watched Harry kissing someone that looked just like him. 

Harry looked up at him. "Draco." 

* * *

Harry had no idea what to do as the other boy pressed into him, kissing him with a passion. /as if his life depends on it.../ 

He heard a moan but it wasn't coming from either one of them. 

Harry managed to break free just enough to turn his head. It had come from the door. He felt himself go stiff with shock when he saw who it was. 

"Draco." 

"What?" The boy who had been holding him tightly looked momentarily confused before noticing where his eyes where directed. 

"Who... are you? What are you doing here? With my body!" Draco gasped. He felt himself coming close to hyperventilating. 

"You aren't supposed to be here!" the other boy yelled. "She was supposed to keep you away." This last part was whispered. 

"What are you on about!?" Harry finally forced himself away from his intruder. He quickly ran over to Draco, trying to calm him. He wondered how much of that had Draco seen. "Breathe, Draco. Breathe." He ran his hand gently along the other boys back. 

"He isn't supposed to be here!" The other boy panicked and raised his wand towards them. 

"No." Right before the spell could be said Draco cried out petrificus totalus. Harry watched as the other boy fell face first to the floor. 

After a moment of staring at the other, Harry realized that Draco was clinging to him. 

/Draco!/ It had finally hit him. Draco was here... "Draco!" He looked down at the boy, but he just clinged to Harry harder. 

/I won't let go... He can't leave me!/ 

/Leave him?/ Draco didn't realize that he had spoke out loud. "Draco!" He pulled him back and shook him a little. "Why would I leave you?!" This was all happening so very fast. Draco was there! 

Draco stared at him, grey eyes wide. Still breathing heavily he shook his head. "Nothing." He couldn't do it. It would hurt Harry to much. 

Harry held him close. He could wait until later. Whatever it was it didn't matter now that Draco was there. With him. 

* * *

Nagini crept silently into the dungeons. That was where Weasly stayed now that her father had more important things to worry about. Severus still wasn't doing any better, but he wasn't any worse off than he had been either. But hopefully not for long. 

She by deatheaters that had been posted by Malfoy before he disappeared. 

Disappeared. 

/Damn it!/ He wasn't supposed to be gone... She hadn't wanted for him to leave! 

She stupefied and obliviated the guards as she passed, including the one holding the cell keys; she didn't feel like having them slow her down. 

"Knock knock, Weasel." She knocked hard on bars for effect. 

"Whoever that is, I'll kill you..." a raspy voice came from the darkened corner of the cell. 

/they've outdone themselves./ she thought as she worked the key in the lock. The deatheater had chained him by the wrist from the ceiling of the dungeons. The deatheaters hated the boy just as much as her father, Severus, and the rest of her brother's friends. All that hate aimed at one person. Her father possibly hated this boy more than he hated his own tormentor. 

"And to think I decided to feel a bit sorry for you." She sneered. "I suppose you don't want these." she held the keys up to his face. 

"Hand them over!" His eyes darted towards the keys as soon as they were brought to his face. 

"No. I don't trust you any more than I trust anyone else around here. Just because I'm furious with Severus, my father, and even Harry, it doesn't mean I'm going to let you go scot-free. I have something else in mind. It's probably better than you deserve, but as I said, I feel a bit sorry for you." 

"Then what are you doing here, bitch." he muttered. /anyone related to Voldemort can't be trusted…/ 

"Watch who you call a bitch, Weasel. That's a very fitting nickname, by the way." She pushed her scarlet hair behind her ear and smirked. "Has no-one ever told you not to bite the hand that feeds you?" 

"Whatever you're doing here just do it and leave, 'cause I'm not listening anymore." Ron turned his head away. He couldn't believed that he had even listened this long. Anything she said would be lies... 

"Fine. Your wish is my command. Consider this my good deed of the year," she said sarcastically. 

/wh-/ 

"Annus Obliviate." 

* * *

Harry held Draco close to him for several minutes, until the unconscious body began to stir. 

"Who is he," Harry heard Draco whisper. He didn't understand why Draco was suddenly acting so meek. He was not acting at all like himself. That thought only brought more confusion to Harry's mind. 

"Harry?" 

"I don't know." The answer came out more clipped than he had wanted, causing Draco to wince slightly. Harry had been about to apologise when the other boy moved again. "We should probably do something about him," he said, considering if he really wanted to leave Draco's embrace or take care of this enemy. 

"We should." Almost in a daze, Draco righted himself only to slouch uncertainly to the other boy. /Two of me?/ Draco thought as he examined him. It really did look like him. Exactly like him. "Who are you?" he said quietly to himself. "Why are you after Harry?" This time it had slightly more conviction. Who was this other person, that would parade in his body, kiss his Harry?! His Harry. 

Draco laughed to himself causing Harry to look at him curiously. 

He wasn't his Harry. Harry would probably leave him if he knew that he almost slept with Granger. /I can't even control my own body's functions./ So much for the famous Malfoy control, like ice. 

"What's wrong Draco?" He wanted for him to stop being weird! First this impostor comes and tries to take Draco's place, than the one who he thought was the real Draco wasn't acting like himself at all... Harry swore silently to himself, slowly becoming infuriated. If Dumbledore was behind this... He had had enough of that old man's meddling! 

"Nothing." /I suppose I should probably get used to having Harry not want me, again.../ "We really should find out who this is." Draco said nothing else as he cast a spell to tie the unconscious boy to the nearest empty chair. "Do you have any veritaserum?" 

Taken back by Draco's sudden coldness, he nodded. "Severus left some in his potions cabinet." 

"Get it. Please," he added on afterthought. Draco couldn't help it. He really didn't want to make Harry leave him, at least until he simply couldn't hide anymore. 

"Yes." Harry's voice came out slightly sarcastic, causing Draco to wince. Harry left the spot where he had been standing, still slightly incensed. /I can't take this anymore!/ 

After waiting a moment for Harry to leave, Draco slowly approached the other boy, who had begun to moan. He was waking up. "Hurry!" he called behind him. 

"I'm still looking!" came the reply. 

Truthfully, Harry had found it right where he thought it was. He was just biding his time so he could think. 

Moaning slightly, after a few minuets he picked himself up off the floor. He wasn't going to be fooled again. 

* * *

"Tell me how or I will kill you, bastard! You will stop looking like me! You will leave my Harry alone!" Harry heard Draco hiss from the small potions closet. /huh, he must have revived him/ 

"I don't want your Harry!" the voice growled. "I don't want anything to do with him; I don't even like him. I hate him, in fact. But, I don't want to die because of my feelings. I thought I did, but I don't." 

"Why do you hate him?" Silence. 

::smack!!:: "I asked you a question. What. Do. You. Want. With. Harry." the tone of Draco's voice sent chills down Harry's spine. It reminded him of Lucius, as cold as it was. "Answer me!" 

"He took you from me." 

"What are you talking about? Who are you; how do you know me?!" 

"Wouldn't you like to know? Everyone thinks I'm gone and they forget about all me. I'm nobody. I have always been nobody." 

"Quit feeling sorry yourself. You're not the only one in pain..." 

/what is Draco talking about?/ 

"Harry!" Harry jerked, banging his head against the door. "What was that? Is there any veritaserum left?" 

"Nothing! I've got it." Quickly Harry glanced around the potions closet. It was on the far shelf; he quickly grabbed two and went back to the outside room. 

"Here." He tossed Draco one. "Take it." 

"What?!" Draco's brow furrowed as he gaped at Harry. 

"Please. Just take it; I have to be sure," Harry pleaded. 

Slowly Draco uncorked the vile and swallowed its contents. /I own you more than this, Harry/ After drinking it down, he handed it back to Harry empty. 

"Thank you," Harry almost whispered; his eyes started to tear. What if this wasn't Draco? "Now, what is your name?" Harry asked as the first tear fell. 

"Draco Augustus Malfoy." Draco couldn't help it as he walked forward to wipe the tear away. "I almost slept with Hermione, Harry." There, he said it. 

Harry looked like he had been slapped. His eyes widened as he backed away from Draco. /...What?! Why would he?!/ He had never imagined that this could... Draco and Hermione. 

"He said he almost slept with her idiot! Even I know that he wouldn't do that. I've seen how sweet he is on you. It's sick how much he's changed himself! Draco lowered himself to be with you, Potter. 

"What are you talking about?!" Harry spat. He realized that he was shaking. 

"He didn't sleep with her. He wouldn't. Unfortunately." The last part was muttered. 

"How do you know all this? For the last time, who the hell are you?!" Harry was almost screaming at this point. It felt like his heart was about to come out of chest. He couldn't breathe! He felt Draco trying to help him, and pushed him away. 

It was all too much! He never thought that it would be this painful to loose him... 

/Harry.../ Draco watched him, worried, as Harry struggled to steady his breathing. He wanted so much to help to help him, but Harry wouldn't let him come near him. 

"Give me the veritaserum, Draco. I'll tell all, if you and Harry keep me safe from Dumbledore and your father." 

Draco's eyes jerked to the ones identical to his own. Dumbledore and Lucius? 

"Why would you-" 

"Quit asking questions and do it. Give it to me. I need for you to be able to believe me." the boys silver eyes glared back at him. "Now." 

Draco look back over to Harry; he was holding it. Harry was now sitting on the floor openly glaring at the both of them. His breathing was still heavy, but didn't look like he would pass out anymore. Harry kicked to vial towards him, sneering. "Take it." 

"Harry, I-" 

"Give it to him." Harry looked away, refusing to diect his gaze back to Draco. 

/it's all my fault/ Clinching his teeth, Draco uncorked the vial and thrust it to the impostor's lips, making sure that he drank it all. 

After a few minutes of silence, he spoke. "So, are you going to ask me now?" he asked slyly. 

"Ask you what?" 

"Whatever you want. You know what the question is." 

Yes, Draco did. "Who are you?" 

The boy smirked. "My name is-" 

* * *

"Are you sure, Hermione? I've known Draco for a long time; I don't think-" 

"Yes, I'm sure, Blaise. I overheard him talking to someone in his room. He's still on his father's side. He lied to us all." Her chocolate eyes bored into his. Would he believe her? 

"But-" 

"You didn't think he would have it in him to hurt me either, now did you." Hermione reached her hand up to bring his face closer to her's. "You love me, don't you." their lips touched with a kiss. 

"Of course." 

"What about the other's that came before me?" she whispered. 

"I don't care about them; I never have and they know that." 

Hermione smiled. "You can be a real bastard when you want to be, you know that?" 

He pulled her closer to him. "But, that's over now." 

"Do you want it to be?" 

"I only want to be you. I can barely wait until our wedding, I love you so much." 

"What wedding?" 

* * *

Chapter 20   
Chapter 22 


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22 

* * *

"Ask whatever you want. You know what the question is." 

Yes, Draco did. "Who are you?" 

The 'boy' smirked. "My name is Padma Patil." 

Draco heard Harry mildly gasp behind him; he himself felt almost shell-shocked. 

"I've been using a glamour this whole time, you see. I'm surprised that you didn't figure that out Draco. I guess you're not as smart as I fancied you to be." She grinned maliciously at him with his own face. 

"W-why, did you do this?" Harry asked. "I know that we were never actually as close as everyone thought, but I was sure that we we're at least friends. You seemed to not mind the rumours that were spread about us." 

"I was covering my own ass, Potter. I never even liked you; you are so full of yourself, so full of power you don't deserve. You never did anything earn anything you have. You know that your friends were only attracted to you because of your power, including Draco. Especially Draco; Malfoys have always attracted to power. At least, that's what I believed at first." She ground her teeth slightly, not wanting to admit it. 

"I wanted Draco so bad, it hurt. At first I thought, that twit, Pansy was my only obstacle. I felt I had to get of her; I pretended to be her friend after she had a bad bout with Trelawny. I got her just where I needed her and got rid of her." 

"You pushed her off the tower, she didn't jump." Draco stared at her, non-believing. He had no real love towards Pansy, but she had been his cousin, one of the few in his family that he didn't outright hate. Irritated by... but not hate. 

"Yes, I pushed her. I had to find out everything about you, Draco, but Pansy, and then Potter, was always in my way. Little did I know he was stalking you as well. And, he got you first. I had to sit by and watch you fall in love, and you fell hard Draco, believe it or not. Most weren't able to tell the difference, good acting by the way, I was able to tell. 

"Then all of you disappeared. I was approached by Dumbledore soon after Potter and Hermione arrived back at the castle. I was surprised that they had the nerve to come back; Hermione had been a walking human disaster and Harry, a child of the dark arts." She switched her gaze back to Harry when she saw his head jerk slightly. "Yes, Potter, Dumbledore told me about all about you. You were using dark arts to gain more power and had dragged your friends down with you. I had heard about what had happened to Hermione, because of you. Dumbledore asked for me to keep you occupied; I realize know that he was worried that you would ruin his plans. He lured me into believing that Draco's love of power would outweigh his love of you, that he would give me the power need to make me stronger than you and Draco would come to me and leave you. I realize how naive that was. Honestly, if he had that type of power wouldn't he have used it to kill Voldemort first? I got tipped off and figured out the rest for myself. I realized that I had to get myself out of this before I couldn't go back. I don't want to murder anybody else because of my stupidity. 

"I figured that even if I greatly dislike you, Potter, that maybe Draco knew what he was doing, and wasn't simply bewitched by you." She fell silent. 

"That's why you changed sides? You killed my cousin because you were jealous of my lover. Is there something wrong with your head?! Are suffering from any type of mental disorder? Either way, get help." Draco glared at her, forgetting what she had said about him not betraying Harry. 

"I honestly don't know. I could change sides again any minute, now..." Her eyes widened. /I didn't mean to say that/ 

"Oh quit the kicked puppy act. You don't really think we really trust you, did you." 

"'Kicked puppy act'? You are the one who was so sure that you weren't trustworthy and waited until you were under veritaserum to tell Potter about your almost-tryst because you thought he wouldn't believe you! And you Potter, as I was telling you, you are so stupid to believe that Draco could really cheat on you, Potter. He wouldn't unless..." She left the rest off. 

"Unless what?!" 

"Unless he was spell." She said simply. "You two should have thought of that for yourselves." 

"Who-" 

"Un-uh." Padma shook her head, grinning. "Did you honestly think that l would tell you any more? Untie me first." 

"No." Draco stated. 

"Then you're not going to find out who cast the Imperious on you." 

"Imperious? How do you know about who cast it?" 

"We were given this person works very close with Lucius, who I have to work with. Now, who's going to untie me, I have an itch..." The grinned turned sly, once again unsettling Harry and Draco; Padma still had Draco's face. 

"How do I end the spell?" Draco asked her. 

"Simple, cast 'finite incantatum', to end the spell; never thought of that, did you?" 

"Fine, I'll untie you, but you aren't leaving this room." 

She shrugged. "That's fine with me; I've got nothing better to do than to watch you two make out... make up, anyway." 

/did she just say that she wanted to watch us make out?/ Draco wondered. 

"Why are you staring at me like that?!" She tried to scoot the charm back. The look that Draco was giving her was oddly... evaluating? Curiously calculating? /what is he thinking?/ 

"We need to talk Draco." Draco's head jerked around to Harry, who had been watching them. "I need to hear about what happened from you, please." Harry pleaded with him; a reproachful look of hope covered his face. He held a hand out for Draco to take. Would Draco still take it? 

"Yes." He reached out to grab his lover's hand. 

"Hey! What about me!" Padma yelled at them as they walked to the opposite side of the room. To her disappointment, Harry waved his hand and a wall appeared between her and them. 

* * *

Hermione smiled. "You can be a real bastard when you want to be, you know that?" 

He pulled her closer to him. "But, that's over now." 

"Do you want it to be?" 

"I only want to be you. I can barely wait until our wedding, I love you so much." 

/...It's time. She blew cover.../ "What wedding?" 

Immediately, Blaise released her, only to grip her arm. "Who are you and what have you done with Hermione?" Blaise asked, surprisingly calm. 

She raised her other arm, wand in hand, quickly before he could stop her and cast 'finite incantatum. 

It was her. 

"You! What did you do with Hermione, Nagini?" He had to stay calm; otherwise, he didn't know what he would do to her... 

"I'll tell you, no arguing. My partner has given herself away, anyway, so you would have found out soon enough from my brother and his lover." a light sneer covered her face when she said this. "Hermione... is in safe keeping Lucius won't bother her. I had him promise to not hurt her in return for helping him. Honestly, I expected for you to figure it out long ago, Blaise. I did everything I could to tip you off without making it to obvious. Turns out you're so oblivious to anything concerning Hermione that I had to be blatant before you even took notice that I wasn't her! Draco noticed that something was wrong with me long before you did." 

Blaise released her only bury his head in his hands, his short black hair forced between his fingers; how had he been fooled like this? /she's right.../ He had refused to even listen to his best friend. Draco... 

"Did he really try to sleep with you, or was that a trick too?" 

"That was a trick, but not entirely on you. I'm still pissed at my brother, so this was mostly my way of messing with the two of them, than anything else. It also helped Lucius to trust me, though." 

He looked up. "What was it? Imperious? Draco is probably tearing himself up over you, then. He's never experienced the Imperious, so he wouldn't know what it feels like to be under it. But you probably knew that already, didn't you, bitch." 

"Why does everyone keep calling me a bitch?" She sighed dramatically only to sit beside Blaise on the bed. She attempted to wrap an arm around him, but Blaise forced her off. "I'm trying to help! Why do I have to be the bad girl? First, I was abandoned, because my mother left me than father didn't think that I was good enough. He decided to go after my mother because he cared more about her than he did about me and was killed because of it. Severus took me in after that; he was the only one that cared! He's the one that I'm doing this for; he treats me and Harry the same. But, he's the only good thing that has happened to me. 

"My father came back, but I rarely saw him afterwards, because he's still mad at the world. Than he comes into possession of Harry Potter, and I think 'here's a cute and nice guy, I wouldn't mind having him around for a while', but then-" Nagini had gotten up and was pacing the floor by now, tossing her hands in frustration. "-it turns out that he isn't a 'Potter' at all and is my half-brother! Not only that, Harry steals all his attention! 

"Oh and Weasly! I don't see why all of you, Severus and my father included, must hate him so much! Harry has been practically living in heaven here, thanks to Ron! I felt so sorry for him that I decided to give him back the last year of his life that he wasted on all of you. I sent him back home with no memory of anything he had to go thr-" She was stopped when Blaise grabbed both of her shoulders and pressed her to the bed. She bucked to try and force him of her. 

Blaise felt he had to stop her. As he listened to her talk he only felt more infuriated, her logic was so... twisted! "Your father must not have told you about what Weasly did to Harry before he brought him here, did he?" 

"It was only a couple of-" 

"Shut up and listen!" He gripped her shoulders harder to get her attention, oddly pleased when she winced. "Weasly kept Harry in a trunk until he was ready to turn him over to the dark lord. When Harry wasn't in the trunk Weasly abused him, both physically and sexually. The only thing that mentally unstable loon didn't do was full-blown rape, but, then again, I guess that you never cared about Harry after all. 

"Not everything is about you." 

She stopped struggling and laid there for a few minutes. Blaise lifted up and left the room. He closed the door, but didn't lock it. 

Nagini lay in the dark room, her blood-red hair framing her head on the pillow. She ignored the tear that slipped down her cheek. 

/Harry?/ 

* * *

Chapter 21   
Chapter 23 


	24. Chapter 23

"We need to talk Draco." Draco's head jerked around to Harry, who had been watching them. "I need to hear about what happened from you, please." Harry pleaded with him; a reproachful look of hope covered his face. He held a hand out for Draco to take. Would Draco still take it?

"Yes." He reached out to grab his lover's hand.

"Hey! What about me!" Padma yelled at them as they walked to the opposite side of the room. To her disappointment, Harry waved his hand and a wall appeared between her and them.

Draco slowly followed Harry over to sit in front of the fireplace. He wished that they didn't have to do this, that they could just hug and make up, but, he knew that it wasn't going to be that easy.

Harry sat himself beside Draco, with their knees touching. Honestly, he missed Draco so much he simply wanted to just wrap his arms around him. "Draco, I just one for you tell me everything that happened. Don't leave out anything."

Draco was silent for a moment. He hated admitting his weaknesses. He hated feeling this vulnerable. He was supposed to be he strong one; it was even more embarrassing this he couldn't handle something that Harry usually could on his worst day... Could Harry hold this against him?

"I woke up and Hermione was standing over our bed; I was irritated, of course, that she had disturbed my sleep. I was tired from trying to track down Lucius and had just gone to sleep, after all. I wanted to kick her out, but she told me to just be quiet and let it happen. She started to feel me up; I'm so sorry, Harry, but I started to kiss her. I was responding to her.... Hermione told me to touch her. I told her to stop, but Hermione said that she didn't care what I wanted. She acting was nothing like herself, Harry." He wrapped his arms around himself, showing a different side to himself than he usually did. Draco Malfoy was never supposed to act timid. Never vulnerable. "Just as I was on top of Hermione Blaise found us. She told me to stop, before she started crying. She told Blaise that I was trying to rape her. Blaise wanted to kill me; I could tell. I don't blame him. I was so confused afterwards I didn't know what to do. So I came here." Draco sniffed, trying to not burst into tears all over again. He hated crying, but that was exactly what he wanted to do at the moment. "I knew I had to tell you, before they did, but I didn't really want you to know, Harry. I'm sorry I hurt you." Draco mumbled.

Harry was silent for several more minutes, trying to understand. "I don't think it's actually your fault, Draco."

"How can it not be my fault!? I was there!" Draco asked incredulously.

"The imperious. She told you to let her do it, from the beginning. You had lost your control from the beginning; Hermione is to blame for this. I just don't know why she would do it."

Draco shrugged. "Maybe Patil knows. After all, she has been masquerading as me. I can't believe that I was taken down by this! All of you are able to throw this, but not me!" Draco hissed.

"You'll be able to someday, Dragon. Just not today."

"Still, I hate this so much.... So does this mean that I've been acting like an idiot for nothing and you forgive me and it's your turn to comfort me?" Draco grinned slightly.

Harry just laid back on the rug to rest on his elbow, grinning also. "I did tell you that you're bi-polar, right? I don't have to forgive you, Draco. I told you, you did nothing wrong. Now come down here." He grabbed the edge of Draco's shirt and jerked the boy towards him, much to Draco's discontent.

"Hey! I like this shirt!"

"I don't care." Harry grabbed his collar and pulled him till Draco's lips met his.

Both ignored the loud pounding on the other side of the room. 


	25. Chapter 24

AN: here's the comic relief. I needed it after writing the last couple chapters of "Vampire's Soul"... Ethan makes an appearance in this chapter.

* * *

"You're going to owe me a house by the time you get back to teaching! Half the time I don't even know what I'm supposed to be doing! I know that thing with Millicent was bad, but come on, this is worse! This isn't easy, you know, and neither Heero or Duo and some of the others kids won't listen to me, Harry! And I thought they liked you. It's stressful." Harry simply watched Ethan talk, blinking.

After Harry and Draco were finished, Harry let the wall come down between them and Padma. Draco, for the most part had gotten tired of all the noise she was making, otherwise he and Harry most likely would have gone to sleep in front of the fire.

To their surprise, it wasn't her; she seemed to had actually fallen asleep in her chair, somehow. No, the knocking was coming from the door.

"Should we answer it?" Draco asked.

"It's probably just Ethan." Harry pulled out his wand and floated Padma to the corner, where he, once again, put up wall around her. On an afterthought, he made a vent at the top; he was mad, but he didn't really want to kill her...

"You and Ethan have gotten close? I don't remember you two talking much, before." Draco asked.

"We didn't. But, with you guys gone I would have gone more mental than I already am, if I didn't have anyone to talk to," Harry said while he walked to the door. "You're not aloud to be jealous, Draco." Harry turned around and smirked at his lover.

Draco just glared at him as Harry finally opened the door, barely missing Ethan's hand as it tried to knock on the door that wasn't there.

"Finallyit'sabouttimei'vebeenknockingonthisbloodydoorforeverwhathaveyoubeendoingthiswholetime!" Ethan muttered as he entered, closing the door behind him. "Nice place, by the way, never thought I would ever get to see in here." He whistled to himself, glancing around him.

Harry and Draco just stood there waiting for him to finish.

"It's good to see you too, Machigai." Draco said dryly.

"Hmm..." Ethan just stared at him for a second. "Make up your mind, Malfoy. Are you talking to us or not?"

"I'll talk when I feel like it."

Ethan just shrugged, he didn't really care, he was simply curious. He turned back to Harry. "But as I said, you own me. This is getting dangerous for me."

"What happened?" /It's always something.../ "Is anyone suspicious?"

"McGonnagal noticed that I was out too often and threatened some of the other Slytherins that she would get Pomfrey to put me in the hospital wing if I was "truly" sick. Then I had to get some of the guys, and as much as I hate to say it, Millicent, to take my place every couple of days! McGonnagal and the other professors seem to believe that it's me, but they're embarrassing me! Especially Millie; why did I ask her! I can't believe she believes they're me!" Ethan finally seemed to run out of steam, dropping to the floor to sit down.

"Has he been like this the whole time? He isn't acting like himself." Draco whispered as he and Harry joined the distraught boy on the floor.

"Stress..." Harry whispered back.

"Oh."

"Good to see you're finally talking to each other..." Ethan muttered.

"Ethan, I promise I'll give you a big present if you keep doing this for me." Harry tried bargaining with him. "I'll even let you tell Keller 'Potter sucks', so she'll talk to you."

"Really?" Ethan's face turned hopeful.

"Yes."

"Fine. As long as you don't give me something like one of Draco's presents. Which are still terrorizing Crabbe and Goyle, by the way. You would think things that small would get tired, but they don't. To exhausting."

"You got me a present!" Draco asked Harry, his eyes had gone wide.

Harry nodded. "But you're not getting your present right now." Draco's face fell. "But you will get to see it." Draco's face lit up. "But you'll have to wait." Harry couldn't help laughing.

"Please quit playing with me, Harry. Why!"

"I'm trying to stay out of Dumbldore's eye, for the moment." Then Harry turned thoughtful. "On second thought, if you pretend to be Padma pretending to be you... Well, I wouldn't mind playing nice with you. We can let Dumbledore believe that I'm sufficiently distracted for the moment. I'll let you see your present tomorrow; it isn't going anywhere. I just hope you like it."

Draco hugged Harry close, grinning. "I'll like it, Harry. I honestly thought you weren't going to give me a Christmas present at this point."

"Maybe it's time for me to leave," Ethan finally spoke up. He pulled himself into a standing position.

"So you'll still help us?" Harry asked, trying to fall over under Draco's added weight. "Even if you might not have to keep impersonating me?"

"Yeah, I'll still help. Just promise someone will tell me what's going on when this is over." Ethan left before Harry could say anything more.

"I hope we can trust him." Draco said as he and Harry picked themselves up. "There's only so many people we can stuff in a closet."

"I do too. I like him." Harry smiled slightly.

"Sure," was all Draco said.

Now they had more important things to do. Like figure out what to do about Padma.

* * *


	26. Chapter 25

AN: a long awaited next chapter. sorry for the wait, i'm just trying to figure out how to end it.

* * *

"You know what, Draco. Let's just get out of here."

"What-" Draco started, but Harry quieted him with a finger put to his lips.

"No. At the moment I don't care that I haven't gotten everything I came for. I just want to leave. I want to see Tom and Blaise and I'm tired of this act," Harry mumbled tiredly into Draco's chest as they lay in their bed, Draco's arm was limply wrapped around his waist. "I even miss Severus. We'll tell Ethan he can drop the act, then leave."

"Would Dumbledore let you leave, just like that?" Draco asked, watching the fire. He felt it too; everything about this place was... repressive. /I don't know how Harry has put up with it, even when Granger was around./ His teeth gnashed at the thought of the other girl. /But them again, she might not have been Granger for all we know... We need more from Patil./

Harry shook his head. "I doubt it. But, I don't care. I don't care about him knowing that I'm a deatheater; it's not as if it isn't common knowledge, these days. What's he going to do, ruin my 'good' name?" Harry scoffed slightly. "I don't care what he does. We'll find a way to bring him down later. I have promised Tom I would clear him of all I could, and I will. We already have several allies here in the school. Besides, we need to get Severus his cure."

"Harry?" Draco asked after a minute.

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell me you had the cure?"

Harry shrugged, then lifted his head to look Draco in the eye. "I just never got around to it. I wasn't even sure you were you, at first. Then it just never came up."

"Something that important never came up?" Draco raised his voice slightly.

"Shh... I have it; that's what's important. Now we just have to get it to him and save Tom a lot of grief. We aren't doing any good here." Harry's head laid back on his chest.

Silence. "How did you find it?"

"We have friends in low places. Let's leave it at that for now."

* * *

"Voldemort. We need to talk." Blaise entered the dark infirmary room, not bothering to knock. He knew that he would find Voldemort there; the man hadn't really left the room since Harry departed. Blaise figured that with Snape out and Harry gone he didn't really have a reason to leave other that to hear from reconnaissance, which he and Draco had been in charge of. Not even Nagini was enough to get him out, but then again Blaise figured that Voldemort wasn't really that close to his daughter. It was sad for a father to not really know his daughter, but maybe that was just the way things had worked out.

On the other hand, it could be the cause of her problems.

"Can it wait?" Voldemort asked. Blaise couldn't quite bring himself to call him the man Tom, even if he was coming to trust him.

"No, it's about your daughter." Blaise waited for a moment to ensure he had Voldemort's attention. She's been up to something. Hermione is missing and Nagini won't release any information."

Voldemort sighed, leaning back in the chair. "Tell, me. Why am I not surprised..." He looked up for a moment before gesturing for Blaise to take chair.

Blaise did, but Severus caught his eye. "Is there any change in him?" Even Blaise could tell that the Dark Lord was actually worried.

"No. I can't think of a way to help him, I cannot make hide nor hair of Severus' journals. His writing is impossible! Therefore, there is no help from that angle. Moreover, I've heard nothing about Lucius. If I could, I would go out there myself and track that bastard down. At least then I wouldn't feel like I was doing nothing!" He threw his fist down on the night table next to him, venting his frustration.

"Well, I still have information for you. It involves Lucius." Voldemort glanced at him in interest. "I think I may have judged Draco wrongly. He told me long ago he suspected that Hermione had been acting strangely. I don't know what happened exactly, but I'm thinking Hermione was taken in between here and Hogwarts. I don't know exactly what's in it for her, but Nagini has been posing as Hermione since she got here. She has been manipulating Draco; she told me she got him into bed to get revenge against Harry."

"So, you are saying that my daughter is a manipulative bitch," A slight sneer graced Voldemort's lips. /Why would she do this! It does not add up./ He had hoped that she would be like her mother, but it seemed that his wish was in vain.

"I don't know what her motives are, she revealed what she had done, but she didn't really seem to feel too guilty. I left her locked in my room."

Voldemort nodded. "Tell a guard to lock Nagini somewhere else, not in her room. I'll talk to her later."

Blaise nodded as well, easing himself out of his seat. He understood Tom's sense of helplessness. He himself felt it at this moment.

Everything they needed felt beyond them. Lucius and Dumbledore were holding all the peices...

* * *


	27. Chapter 26

AN: I have my new computer! But it dosn't have a word prossessor so there are probably tons of spelling and capitalization errors that I've missed. I'm working on getting a copy of MS office so the problem should be resolved eventually...

A big thank you to the people who are still reading! and yes it is coming to an end. Eventually. It will end! Even if I started this story 4 years ago.  
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It was quick for Harry and Draco to gather and shrink everything they had. truthfully, draco hadn't actually had anythin to pack. /This was a first.../ he thought sarcastically/me borrowing Harry's clothes/

Harry had gone down to slytherin house the day after him and draco had talked. Things were now settled with ethan and he agread to babysit the kittens, saying that he was entertained by their tormentting of crabbe and goyle. /Although, they might be cats by the time Draco actually gets them.../ Harry thought. /I just hope he likes cats/

The hardest part, aside from leaving, was Padma. What to do with her? Harry thought to change her shape, but transfiguration was never his or Draco's strong point and any power he used from the room would be gone after they left it.

"We'll silence and bind her, Harry," Draco suggested. "She can be levitated under your cloak. that way no one will be suspicious... As long as no one runs into her."

"That may work." Harry nodded, before willing the room to remove the walls set up around the girl. Harry instantly grimaced at the sight. Holding his nose while she glared at him, he cast a cleaning charm. With everything that had been going on he had honestly mostly forgotten about her, even if it had only been a couple of days. Draco probably didn't really care, after everything she had put them through.

Draco put a hand on his lover's shoulder when he the guilty look on his face. "Harry, you shouldn't feel sorry that she's soiled herself for two days. She's humiliated, but remember she killed my cousin. A little humiliation is not even close to what she deserves. Since, I doubt that your "in-law" really feels up to killing anyone, at the moment, and It's my right to see her put in Azkaban when this is all over. I wouldn't be too upset if she is sent to Mungo's, though, if you really feel prision is to much for her. I doubt that they could prove her sane. Besides, if she is declared sane then she would have no choice but the Kiss." Draco tried to console him.

"No, you're right. Padma should go to Azkaban." Then Harry stopped to think. "Do you think everything will be fine for us, after the war? I'm still a deatheater, Draco. Many people are aware of that and would see me in Azkaban. I'm litterally hanging on to Dumbledore last strand of protection. I don't regret being with Tom, never. But, I want there to be a life for me after this."

Draco knew exactly what Harry meant. at the moment both their lives were in shambles and it would be hard to pick back up the peices. "It'll happen somehow. What happened to the Gryffindor I used to know, spouting all that 'good always concurs evil' crap?" Draco tried to lighted to mood, but It only worked somewhat.

grinning slightly, harry pulled draco close before kissing him once on the lips. "You know damn well I was never really a Gryffindor, Draco. if I can be considered one, than i'm a bad one at that. look at me, running away from my enemy when he's only a few minutes walk away. and my lover and my adoptive father are both Slytherins, at that. yes, i'm such a naughty Gryffindor..." harry drawled, arching an eyebrow when Draco just stared at him for a moment.

"We need to get you out of here, Harry. It's starting to affect you," He said simply.

"I know."

"Mhh!" They turned back and remembered Padma.

"We're not going to untie you, Patil, so you can be quiet now." Harry just rested his chin on Draco's shoulder, shrugging when she glared harder.

"Maybe we should leave while it's still night, Harry. then we can be done with her sooner and avoid the students."

Harry gathered his bags into his pockets and with that they left safty of the room.

hr

the halways were strangly quiet, even for night. Filch was nowhere to be found and Harry guessed that Mrs. Norris was still getting over her pregnancy. Peeves and all the other ghost was absent as well.

Maybe this should have been their first warning. But they continued down the corridor, with an invisible Padma close behind.

It was Draco who noticed something wrong first.

"Harry, do you smell something?" He stopped to sniff the air, which was filled with a slight acidic odor.

"Now that you say it..." Harry was distracted when his vision began to grow foggy. He blinked to try and clear his vision, but it didn't help in the slightest.

"Harry!" Draco tried to scream out, but his air was suddenly cut off. he noticed harry gasping for air at the same time. His lungs refused to open. Draco's eyes began to burn as tears streamed down his face; his lungs began to burn as well from the lack of air going into them. He vaguly noticed when Padma came crashing down, but what frightened him was when he saw, through the fog, that Harry was unconcious as well. the other boy wasn't moving at all and he vaguly felt himself fall the floor across from him.

He felt, more than heard, footsteps nearing them. desperatly draco wanted to reach out for harry. he just needed to cover him with the cloak, or hold him, or something! He couldn't let this happen... But the steps kept coming closer until Draco was able to make out the outline of the persons robes.

"Wonderful! Simply... wonderful, those muggles," Draco heard before blackness took over. /...bastard.../

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	28. Chapter 27

AN: It's short, I know, but I wanted to get a chapter out before everyone completely forgot about this story (I've been loosing readers for this one, I think. I'm wondering if I've let the quality slip (god knows I've been letting the quality slip for everything else...) I hate college, let's leave it at that. (god danmed necessary irritation that will affect the rest of my damn life!) SPSU has been the cause of my recent depression... If I could skip college and get a good job I would!

On the other hand Renaissance Festival was good! (and that about all I can say…)

I really am thankful to the people who review, you give me a moment of enjoyment.  
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:tap:

:tap:bump:

Draco rolled grumpily, trying to rid himself of the noise assaulting his ears. "Stop Harry…" Draco muttered and rolled after another he heard another noise.

"Draco Malfoy, get up!" he heard Harry hiss.

:tap: "I don't feel like it, so shut it, Harry! I want to sleep..." Draco shot up to make his lover stop whatever he was doing.

However, when he opened his eyes he realized he wasn't in bed with Harry, instead he found himself in his own room in Malfoy manor. And Harry was nowhere to be found. Again. / I swear I'm going to tie that boy down the second I get my hands on him, damn it… How- Dumbledore/ Draco sat for a moment trying to clear his head.

"Draco, over here."

He looked towards the voice and Hermione hanging from a pair of manacles in his room, looking a little worse for wear, but not horrible. /never knew I had those.../ "Hermione?" He slid forward to sit on edge of the bed. "Is that really you?" He frowned a bit. She was hanging just low enough that her feet could nudge a stack of books left close them. Draco noticed a few on the floor and guesses that she had been kicking them to get his attention.

"Yes! Now get me down!"

Draco stood and straightened his shirt before walking towards her. "How can I be sure you are who you say you are..." he said while looking her in the eyes. "I don't think my father would lock a mudblood like you in my room and leave you alone. You don't exactly look you've been suffering."

"Draco, please shut up and help me! I am chained to a wall! Do you have any idea how long I've been hanging here? You have no idea what Lucius has put me through!" she glared helplessly at the boy in front of her. /why doesn't he do anything/ Indeed Draco did nothing other than cross his arms, making no move to help. "Fine! ...My animagus is a wolf."

He snorts. "Half the people who been in Riddle's castle know that, including Lucius." Draco said dryly.

Hermione would have thrown her head back in frustration, if she could. She wracked her brain to think of something else, something Lucius or Dumbledore wouldn't know. "James Potter isn't Harry's father!"

"Yeah, and Dumbledore could have told that to you, remember."

/Damn it! Wait, I know.../ "Harry likes that you aren't perfect. He loves that you don't always feel the need to be good or nice, though you are obviously love him. You told me that Harry hates perfection, he finds it boring."

Draco said nothing. Hermione thought Draco still didn't believe her, but then he nodded. "Did Lucius have a key?" he asked.

"No. A wand."

"How exactly am I supposed to help Granger? I haven't looked, but I seriously doubt Lucius would leave me with my wand."

"He didn't, but maybe you have enough power to break the cuffs somehow. I don't know, melt them! Just help me, I am in an excruciating amount pain and I'm tired," the girl growled.

"Not sure I want to break them... Harry might like these." Draco muttered while admiring the metal.

"Draco!" She exclaimed.

"What? I'm thinking." he raised an eyebrow at her.

"I know exactly what you're thinking." Hermione huffed. "Try heating them, you might be able to do it without your wand."

"Why haven't you tried heating them?" Draco took a step back, folding his arms again.

Hermione tried kicking forward a bit, but not enough to hit him. "Don't you I've tried. Your father, you bastard, bound my magic the second Harry's bitch of a sister brought me here! Now quit wasting time, I'll explain later!"

"Oo, language!"

"Shut Up!" She was out of breathe at this point and knew here eyes were starting to tear up with exhaustion and the lasting fear that had been with her since she first felt a wand to her back.

Draco could see that she was going to start crying any minute and decided to take pity on her. He knew that she didn't want anyone to she her hanging like this, not even Draco. Maybe especially Draco. "Do you know where Harry is?" he asked while he moved forward to cups the manacle cuffs in his hands. /can I do this? I not quite as strong as he is/ Draco was still bitter about what happened. he hadn't realized he was that far behind the others...

"No. Dumbledore only brought you in. I never saw Harry. God, I miss Blaise," she muttered to herself. /I'm supposed to be planning my wedding now.../ "Wait! Try to heat the chain not the cuff! Unless you want to burn my hands off."

Draco looked down from the cuffs above her head. "If you don't let me concentrate I may sever something."

"You can't," she shot back.

"You're the one who thinks I can burn through metal without my wand, who knows what else I can do..." Draco said before returning his concentration to the manacle chains.

"Just get it over with, please." And there it was; the first tear fell.

Draco sighed. "Relax Granger, I'll do my best. But don't be disappointed if I can't."

She nodded.

hr

AN: Sorry for the shortness (I'm trying to back up to my usual standards... and straighten my life out) 


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